


Dumb Fox

by Janyo



Category: Arashi no Yoru ni | One Stormy Night, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Disney, Furry, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2018-08-20 09:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8244142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janyo/pseuds/Janyo
Summary: After the discussion Nick had with Judy at the press conference, he thinks he maybe overreacted about it, but when the fox tries to sort things out with the bunny, it turns into a whole odyssey when the things don't go as expected. Chapter 11: Looking for Carrots.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Torpe zorro](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8243831) by [Janyo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janyo/pseuds/Janyo). 



Greetings to everybody and welcome to my fanfic. This is the first fanfiction I have write after some years (I hope I don't lose the touch), this is also my first Zootopia fanfic (and I hope not the last one) and last and more important, my first English fanfiction (please, be gentle), I really love this movie since the first time I see it, and after get out the theater I began thinking about many stories, but of all of them **'Dumb Fox'** was the one I chose to start writing. Originally planned as a one-shot, I began write more and more and it became a bigger story and I had to organize it in many short chapters.

 **'Dumb Fox'** is a story that happens just after the "break-up" scene, after Judy's press conference. From this event, the story will show Nick's life from this day until he reconcile with Judy. It may sound a bit predictable, but I really wanted to explore the time lapse the film leave it to our imagination, and discover Judy isn't the only one missing Nick, actually, my intention is explores Nick's attitude toward Carrots before, during and after the reconciliation.

With the fear of losing potential readers, I have to confess you this fanfic won't focus on Wildehopps, **but** while I was writting this fic, I can't stop add some reference to this ship. Remember, in the film they are just friends and I'll try to respect the film's canon as far as possible.

As you probably have noticed already, English is not my native language, so please excuse my if the fanfic sounds a bit odd or broken, I try to do my best translate it, but it's very hard for me and took me a lot of time, I used to write the Spanish version of this story every week but the English version might took me three weeks or more, so please be patient.

I also would like to suggest you, please leave a review, opinion or feedback, especially if you notice something wrong (especially any grammar issue), I'll try to correct it and improve it. Any critique or feedback are welcome, they are the little things that motivate me to write.

Needless to say, I hope you like my story. Here you have the first chapter of my fic. **Chapter 1: Back to the routine with Finnick**.

Greetings and thank you very much for keep reading.

 **Credits:** Cover pic made by a unknown artist. Chapter pic made by  **burnrice8**.

**_~Janyo_**

**_ _ **


	2. Back to the routine with Finnick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the discussion Nick had with Judy at the press conference, he thinks he maybe overreacted about it, while he thinks about the bunny more than he should do until an old friend of him comes to bringing back to the scam business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits: Chapter pic made by Jacky-Bunny.

* * *

## Chapter 1: Back to the routine with Finnick

* * *

  "What have I done? I screwed it up."

   Nick thought, he has awaken some minutes ago, while his body still rested in a humble bed inside an abandoned factory, the one he called home. It had passed more than 10 hours since he and Judy cracked the case; after staying awake more than 48, his body has begging for rest, however, the discussion with Judy made him feel afflicted.

   "Why I was so mean to her? Why bother me so much what she said at the press conference? It's true she may talked too much, in her anxiety, she probably just repeated the same thing we heard from the asylum's doctor about the savage mammals, but... Why infuriated me so much what she said about predators?"

   Once again, Nick remembered his bitter experience with the Junior Ranger Scouts, the way the other animals rejected him just for be a fox, how he felt when they muzzled him and all the other taunts he received, a bitter experience that marked his life forever, and precisely, those same thoughts appeared in his mind when he heard Judy speaking very negatively about predators, and the same feeling of being betrayed.

   "I suppouse I was carried away by my emotions, I didn't think I was that sensitive... not many mammals know this about me, I opened my heart to that dumb bunny and I think her dumb words hurt me more than I would like admit."

   The fox kept talking with himself in order to felt better, but a pessimist aura surrounded him.

   "Anyway, this doesn't matter anymore, Officer Hopps saved her job and I got back the pen recorder, feh! Everybody wins and we both can go back to our simple and common lives, with no more unresolved mysteries, no more blackmails, no more nudist animals, no more 'ice them' threats, no more chases, no more savage and hungry jaguars, and no more dumb bunnies saving my life... Damn! Since when I became so bland?"

   The orange fur fox was wondering about that until a few knocks from the other side of the door brought him back to the present.

   "Hey Fuzz! Are you awake?" said a deep, mocking voice behind the door.

   "Come on Finnick, it's open as always."

   Immediately a fennec fox went into his room. He was Finnick, not his actual name but a nickname because he never told Nick his real name. The tiny fox was Nick's business partner, or more like a hustle partner, he was the closest Nick have to a friend, though Finnick prefer just call him partner, but apparently both are okay with it.

   "Well Mr. police officer, I know you had a very long day fighting crime, but I think after a restful sleep..."

   Finnick was mocking Nick, usually the orange fur fox is the one teasing the little fox, that's why Finnick can't let this opportunity.

   "You have to come back to work with the bad boys!" he yelled strongly at Nick's ears.

   Nick tried vainly protect his ears with his fingers, after that, ignoring the thoughts mortify him, he put a smug smile in order to hide any sign of sadness, sorrow or worry of his face.

   "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My little one couldn't sleep because daddy didn't give him a goodnight kiss?" Nick replied him while he was making a kissing face with his muzzle repeatedly.

   "Well bobby, looks like you feel better already... Cut the crap or I'll bite your face off!" he yelled very angry to stop Nick and paid him attention. "Whatever, it's already too late, but get up and prepare yourself. Let's get some money today, since you decided to play police and thieves, I didn't earn many bucks, so, Move your awful huge tail and let's work!"

   "Okay" Nick yawned. "I miss you too, big guy. What do you have in mind? Because it's a bit late to sell pawpsicles."

   "Don't ask me, you are the brains here, whatever I don't have to use a ridiculous costume, is okay for me."

   "Ummm... well..." the tallest fox pondered with his paw on the chin for a while. "I think I have heard recently there was a downsizing at the Sanitation Department and it seems a poor refuse collector and his little son must ask for some help for them and so that their unfortunate family will be able to eat... so, tell me, Is your rhino costume clean?"

   "I hate you." the tiny fox replied annoyed and knowing today he impersonates a little boy dreaming to be a rhino when he grows up. "Feh! Yeah, I finished to wash it yesterday, I wait you in the van. And don't take too long or I'll wipe that smug smile off your face with my baseball bat!"

    Finnick was about to leave the room when he turned again to Nick.

   "By the way, What happened with your bunny girlfriend?"

   "W-what did you say?" Nick's voice faltered for a little while.

   "I said: What happened with the police officer? The bunny! I saw her in the TV, she cracked the case and..."

   "Oh, that bunny." his voice now sounded more calm and selfless. "I just helped her to get some clues and that's all. I assure you we never see her again."

   Nick stated in a seriously tone, he felt actually he'll never see the rookie cop again.

   "Really? What a shame, I really liked that girl."

   Nick rose up his left ear with genuine interest.

   "W-w-why do you say that?"

   "Nah, I dunno man, I just really liked her, she was cute, honest, pretty cheerful, very, very naive ... and Good Heavens! She had a fluffy tail that was so... Grrrrr I just wanna give it a bite ha, ha, ha." he said even if it sounded too unsuitable for someone who appeared to be so young.

   Nick saw his partner very amazed after hearing his statements.

   "And the best part was, even for a dumb and naive bunny, she was the only one to beat you in your own game! Hahaha!"

   Finnick laughed derisively remembering how Judy was able to hustle the scam master, while he giggled and walked out through the door from Nick's room.

   "But really, what a shame. Anyway, I'll wait you in the van, former fuzz haha."

   The little fox was still laughing from the outside, while Nick was thinking, not about Finnick's taunts, but about certain bunny he couldn't get out of his mind.

 

*******


	3. The Rhino Hustle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While he's trying to forget about Judy, Nick, aided by Finnick, comes back to his con artist job, but he may have some problems with this new hustle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everybody, the translation process took me a lot of time and I'm a bit busy with my life and college but believe me, I do my best. I want to give special thanks to my friends of /co/ Zootopia discord group, thank you so much for your hints and good wishes you degenerates! And Patrick Marcellino, he motivates me to update this monster.
> 
> Thank you, everybody, for their patient, here you have the chapter 2 of my fanfic, I hope you like it. Read and review, please!

* * *

## Chapter 2: The Rhino Hustle

* * *

A fox and his son walked hand in hand through Sahara Square streets, the father was a charming refuse collector, wearing a dirty and worn-out green uniform, white gloves and a green cap; his little son was a cute little fox wearing a cyan rhino costume with a nice one-horn hood. Nick and Finnick have worked in this business for years, being masters of disguise and transforming into any character easily were some of their many talents. However, they had worked in their role the whole afternoon but they were out of luck.

   "Boy, this sucks." Finnick said very angrily "You usually have cool ideas, but today you screwed up."

   "Calm down Finnick and don't speak too loud or they'll notice you aren't my little son." Nick replied "I don't get it, we had been making the same refuse collector-son hustle for ages and we never had problems even in our worst days."

   "Haven't you noticed it yet? Most of the mammals rejected us were prey and..."

   "Oh..." he cut him off. "I don't think my cute little pie was one of those mammals who discriminate against others because they aren't predators."

   "I' not talking about that, you imbecile! Haven't you watched the news? Since yesterday there have been fear and dread about..."

   "Be quiet big guy, in the next door, lives a wealthy rhino's family, they sure love your costume. Come on! You can tell me afterward why you hate preys so much!"

   "But I'm not...! Bah, all right, but this's going to be the last one, my paws are killing me, You should have brought the stroller!"

   Nick and Finnick got close at the mansion entrance, where a she rhinoceros went out from the main door, she was a mid-age lady wearing classy and dark clothes showing her high social status, she seemed angry and in a hurry, but it wasn't an impossible challenge for an experienced articulate fella.

   "Good afternoon milady." Nick said with a charming voice while he was taking off his cap and making a sad face with supplicant puppy eyes. "I am so sorry to bother you, but I need your help for..."

   "Listen here you little... fox. " said the rhino in a rude tone as she walked. "I'm in a hurry and honestly I'm not going to give you a single dime, so go to find a job with your own species to another place..."

   "Madame, if you could give me just one minute to explain myself, as you can see, I already have an honest job at the Sanitation Department... or well, I used to have one some days ago" Nick continued telling his sad story with his best acting skills "There was a downsizing at my department, including me, and even though I have been looking for a job all the morning no one wanted to give me a chance..."

   "It's no surprise that nobody wants to hire a vicious predator like you. That's all? I'm late for my spa appointment."

   "Almost there ma'am... madame. "Nick felt her hostility, but even if he already was used to being treated this way, today of all days would be especially difficult to sound charming and persuasive "As I told you, I don't wanna take advantage of your goodwill, but I have not been paid and me and my poor wife don't have any food for our kids, so I wanna ask you, no, I beg you, please, Would you mind be so gentle as to sharing a bit of your generosity with us? Can you spare a single coin or a buck of any currency, please? Anything will help a lot!"

   "Listen you little...!"

   "Daddy, I'm very hungry..." said a sweet and tender little voice by a tiny fox "Daddy, daddy! Can we go home now? I'm really REALLY hungry!"

   "Oh little one, wait a second please, daddy is talking with this sweet mistress." he replied while he was rubbing his little head "Look, he is my younger son, and curiously he has a thing for rhinos, actually, he want to be one when he grows up, come on, show her your cute costume, sweetheart."

   Finnick put on quickly the rhino's hood and showed her happily his cute costume while he was rising his arms.

   "Ta-dah!"

   "Out of my way... Now!"

   "Ahhhhh"

   "Argh!"

   The she rhinoceros tackled them offhandedly, pushing out Nick and taking down Finnick a few feet back, a lot of mammals turned back and witnessed the scene; both foxes didn't expect this violent reaction while the lady rhino was looking down on them and without regretting what she had done.

   "You... nasty predators! Do you find very comical mocking about my own kind while wearing a demeaning costume!? Especially by dirty foxes! Hummm!" she turned back and walked away.

   "Finnick! Are you okay?"

   "Feh, I'm all right, I'm not a baby, I think I sprain my ankle, not a big deal... ouch!"

   "What is your problem?!" Nick yelled furiously while everybody looking at him "That's no way to treat a kid! A simple 'no' have been enough."

   The rhino turned.

   "I don't have to reply to a vicious predator, they should muzzle them all to teach them some manners..."

   "Boy, ignore her, she is not worthwhile... Nick!!"

   Nicholas P. Wilde it's an experienced con artist and he can bear many kinds of insults and strong words, but like any other mammals, even he has his own limits. Her last line was the straw that broke the camel's back. Nick threw down his cap and faced up the displeasing rhino.

   "Excuse me? What did you say?" he questioned her without contemplations.

   "What you heard, nasty fox. Now, get lost before I call the police to muzzle you if I don't crush you first."

   "Just do it. I haven't done anything. But as far as other mammals and I could see, a fat witch hurt a small mammal, made verbal threats and discriminatory comments, all crimes punishable in Zootopia by up to six months in prison, grandma."

   "What did you just call me, fox?"

   "Oh my bad, I actually wanna called you..." he said with a cynical voice "OLD HAG!" the fox yelled in her face.

   "You're death fox! I'll do what police doesn't dare to do, teach a lesson to predator scumbag like you!"

   "Enough!"

   A she-elephant stood between the rhino and the fox to prevent any movement. The big lady was wearing a white dress with red flowers pattern and a little sun hat with a similar style, she also wearing a tiny pair of pink glasses and carrying a small salmon color purse, the pachyderm faced the other big mammal while the fox stayed behind her.

   "Out of my way, you freaking... Susan!?"

   The one-horned mammal shut up immediately when she recognized the two-tusk mammal.

   "What a shame, Beatrice, after all those years, I would never have imagined you were that kind of mammal." she commented disgusted while adjusting her glasses "Mr. Fox is right, all of us watched everything and we'll testify against you if the police come, so please, leave this poor dad alone and just beat it. "

   "But Susan, I..."

   "Beat it! We discuss this at my office tomorrow."

   The lady rhinoceros walked away very scared and ashamed from there, at the same time, every mammals were dispersing. Then, Finnick ran and reached Nick.

   "Nick! You clumsy boy!! What are you thinking? Uhhh..." Finnick noticed the elephant still was there and changed his voice for a softer one "I mean, Daddy!! Are you okay!? I wanna go home! Waaahhhh!"

   The little fox hugged his alleged father with anxiety.

   "Oh Finnick, how sweet, but relax, she already knows. Did you forget Susan?"

   "What? Really?" the little vulpine said with his characteristic deep voice, then he released and pushed Nick and finally jumped to the lady's paws. "Susan! I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

   "Oh boys, you haven't changed at all, once again I have to save us from your failed hustles, as when you were children."

   Finnick saw Susan with an annoyed face.

   "Well, when Nicky was a child and not you, sorry Finny, but you know what I mean." she petted the fennec fox head "Look guys, I told you many times, you have to leave this business, you are very young and talented animals, you can work on whatever you want."

   "Yeah Sus, you already told us that." Nick said sincerely "But this is the only thing... a pair of nasty and vicious foxes can do."

   "Nicky, don't let it bother you the opinion of that witch."

   "Bother me? Nah, no way Sus, we're already used to it, happen us all the time. And no, that wasn't a failed hustle, it's just, today was a very... very... very bad day."

   Finnick gazed on Nick thoughtfully, then, the elephant opened her purse and took a piece of paper.

   "Sus, really, we'don't not need your money, we're not that desperate, tomorrow we..."

   "Talk for yourself, super dad" Finnick cut him off "I have mouths to feed."

   "Boys, don't argue; of course I'm not gonna give you money, work and earn it, you pair of sloths... hoho, not really, but take these. cards instead."

   "What is this?"

   The smaller fox questioned while the other one was reading the card carefully.

   "Are you offer us a job Sus?"

   "I know it isn't a very exciting nor well-payed job as your actual work but, it's pretty honest and safe, especially for this hard times; I don't wanna scare you but that grumpy rhino isn't the only mammal who discriminate others in this city, I think very hard times are coming. With all the negatives news I have seen, a big struggle is getting close to Zootopia, and today, more than any other day I'll need mammals of all kind, including a pair of gifted predators as yourself."

   "I don't know what you're talking about Sus and I thank you with all my heart your tempting offer, but, we're not interested." he gave back the card to Susan "Right Finni...?"

   "Keep it Nicky, and you too Finny. I don't expect you accept immediately, but I hope you think about it. If you change your mind, you know where to find me. Good bye guys, nice to see you, I looking for meet with you again, and in better circumstances."

   "Bye Sus... Susan, and thank you for everything." Nick replied while waving his hand.

   "What? Are you guys too grown-up to give the old Susan a hug?"

   Finnick and Nick didn't hesitate to give a firm and tender hug to the pachyderm. With nothing more to say, they released from the big mammal grip and then she walked away. Nick picked up his cap while Finnick kept reading the card Susan had given him.

   "Well, this day might have been a crap if it hasn't been for Susan. Ok officially the day is over and I'm so freaking thirsty; hey super dad, Wanna go to Joe's for some drinks? The drinks are on me."

   "Some drinks you said? Since when my little one had became so generous?"

   "Come on fuzzy-face, today was a gross day, also, the old Joe own me a round, so come one!"

   "Meh, I'm not in a go out mood... but if you gonna paid for it... Why not?"

*******

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits: Cover pic made by コマツコ (Komatsuko).


	4. Bar confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bad day, Finnick invites Nick to take some drinks at a bar and trying to figure out why the big fox has acted so strange all the day, he suspect the vulpine misses his bunny friend. Also, both of them are aware about hard times that are coming to Zootopia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, at last, I could update my fic, sorry for taking almost a month but this chapter was too complicated to translate, I hope you like it. Again, I want to give special thanks to my friends of /co/ Zootopia discord group for their support and the user Eh for the hints and corrections he did in the previous chapter, Thank you so much! Also, I want to thank Dexios for their good wishes and hints, I started using the Grammarly app you suggested me and it have helped a lot to improve it, Thank you very much!
> 
> I hope the waiting have been worthwhile, I wish you like it. Here you have the third chapter of my fic, Read and review, please!

* * *

## Chapter 3: Bar confessions

* * *

Joe's was a small bar at the border of Sahara Square, mostly visited by predators, but it wasn't too odd to see some prey here too. Actually, the barman and owner was a huge but kind hippopotamus, the old Joe. It was a dark and smelly pub, but a nice place to get along and not too expensive. The night was young so the bar was half capacity, and on one of their red leather tables was seated two foxes. Finnick has already gotten rid of his costume and was only wearing a black and red tee and beige pants. On the other hand, Nick kept wearing the same green uniform, but without the gloves and the cap. The orangish fur mammal hasn't finished his first beer while the tiny fox was about to order his third round.

   "What are you up to, Finnick? You've never been so nice."

   "Well, I'll get to the point; boy, all day I've noticed you've acted very strange." he made a little pause to finish his beverage "The whole day you've been very distracted and too unfocused for you own good. Also, in the last hustle you totally lost control; I'm very grateful for what you did for me putting that witch in her place, but both of us know this business, we just can't lose our temper, especially you, 'cause you are the most calm of the two."

   "Yeah Finnick, I know." he answered him sadly "I'm sorry, it never will happen a..."

   "It's for the bunny, ain't it?"

   "What? No! Of course not..."

   "Son, I've known you for a long time, you may have mastered controlling and hiding your feelings but today of all days, you suck."

   "Finnick, I don't really wanna talk about it." he took another sip of his beer.

   "You know, I hate to poke my nose in your personal life and vice versa, but, as your business partner, this is not gonna work if you don't let me help you, come on boy, I already gave you some free drinks. Don't make me go back to the van and get answers with my baseball bat!"

   "You won't leave me alone until I tell you, isn't it? Ok, you win."

   Nick gulped down the rest of his beer and began telling Finnick about all his adventures with Judy, including when she asked to join the police and become her partner. He also told the fennec fox how he felt betrayed with Judy's speech, he felt the experience of the Ranger Junior repeated again with her words and when he tried to confront her, he realized she was afraid of him just because he was a predator.

   "Tell me honestly, after all the moments you spent together, do you really think she didn't trust you? I mean, why did she'd a-a-a-sk you to...? Pfff Ha, ha, ha, sorry, I still can't swallow it.... Why did she'd ask you to be his police partner?" he tried not to laugh "Hahaha, I mean it, but haha, heck, it's too funny thinking you as a real fuzz haha..."

   "Finnick, seriously I'm beginning to regret about..."

   "Sorry boy, I do my best to don't crack up... Anyway, do you really think she'd ask you something like that if she considered you a threat?"

   "Of course not, but I was too mad at her and after thinking carefully, I realized it, but it was too late. That's why I feel very uneasy because I couldn't control myself it became into a tempest in a glass of water. Maybe I was right about being upset, but I shouldn't have been so rude with her."

   "Do you like her, ain't it?"

   "Yeah... well... No! Not in that way!" Nick explained embarrassed while Finnick was just chuckling "What I mean is, for the very first time I've found someone who I think could understand me, someone who even not being a fox knew first-hand the feeling of being rejected or judged before even know you. Two days ago I haven't given a crap about someone like this, that's why the first time we met I didn't care, but after all the things we spent together, especially the incident at Rainforest District, when I see her there, being treated so unfairly, watching how her dreams were being crushed after have struggled so much; in this moment, I saw myself as a little, naive, helpless fox who once tried joining the Junior Ranger Scouts and was rejected for the same reasons, because he wasn't what everybody expected. I couldn't allow someone else suffer the same way and in desperation, make the same mistakes I did." Nick paused for a moment and sighed. "For the very first time in more than 15 years, I just realized it's possible to care about someone else, and the very least that I could do was support her. I think it was the only thing someone can do, someone like..."

   "A friend?" Finnick cut him off.

   "Yes... I think so, or at least, I was it for some hours."

   There was an awkward silence, Nick had tried to stay away from any social or affective bond, Finnick was the closest mammal he could consider a friend, but like he said early, he didn't poke his nose in the big fox's business and only considered themselves as hustle partners. Flash and the rest of the mammals who knew Nick, even if he called them friends, are nothing but good relationships for his own interests and nothing else. Because of this, the idea of considering Judy a friend sounded too bizarre and astonishing for him. Maybe this was the reason he couldn't get the bunny out of his head easily.

   "Answer me only one thing, Nick. Before arguing with her, you considered being her police partner. Why? And be honest, I promise I won't laugh."

   "I... I dunno... I... maybe I did it all of a sudden, maybe I felt compromised, or maybe, after all the things we achieved together, the investigation, the asylum's infiltration, to arrest criminals and to help other mammals, everything was... So... So exciting and gratifying. I felt if I had recovered something I thought I had forgotten years ago as if I was a child again... Oh heavens Finnick, please tell me I didn't just say that, I probably sounded so pathetic." said the fox grimacing to himself.

   "Just a little, hehe. Son, if you wanna hear my advice, the answer is crystal-clear."

   "Oh yeah?"

   "Look for the bunny and have a talk with her, she probably felt bad or even worst about it, just tell her you don't bear a grudge against her, amend things and there you go."

   "Bah! It's not that easy Finnick, she must think I really hate her, or maybe she doesn't wanna see me again." the tallest fox said lowering his ears "And even if I wanted to give it a try, we'll be very busy tomorrow, we have to think in new hustles, the pawpsicles won't make for themselves."

   "To hell with that! Forgot about it for a moment, even if you'd have a second chance to change your life. What? Do you really want to keep doing this? Both of us aren't into this business because we like it, we did it for need, but if we got a single chance to change it, we take it all of a sudden."

   "What, would you do it?"

   "You wouldn't, boy? Didn't you just plan to leave me for the girl and become a real fuzz?"

   "Finnick, I'm not..."

   "Nope!" the little fox waving his left paw to prevent he speak more "Don't apologize boy, I ain't even mad, as I told you earlier, I understand you, I'd do the same, I think there are better ways to make a living than pretending to be a little kid and wearing a silly costume for 40 bucks a day."

   Nick was genuinely amazed by his partner's solidarity. It seems they weren't too different after all.

   "Also, you can't use me as an excuse to not going to look for your bunny friend."

   "And... What will you do without me? Will you look for an honest job or what?"

   "I'll do something better." Finnick pulled out a white card his elephant friend gave him early "I'll try my luck with Susan, maybe I won't earn as much I earned with you, but it seems a stable job, recently make a living at Zootopia is becoming more and more complicated since the incident."

   "Wait a second. Susan and you have been talking about something big in the city. What's going on?"

   "You don't have a clue, do you? Since yesterday they don't stop talking about it on TV." Finnick turned back to see the bar owner "Hey Joe! Would you mind turning on the News, please?"

   The big hippo stopped washing beer mugs, picked up a TV controller and turned on the TV, the first channel in screen was the popular news channel ZNN, both foxes turned to watch it; a beautiful snow leopard was the anchor for the nightly news who announced the next message:

' _... and this is why the Natural History Museum will stay closed until further notice. In other news, some hours ago, another case appeared of a mammal acting savage, the same way the original 14 missing mammals were found yesterday. This mammal has been identified as Rick Bitey, a 28 years-old opossum classified as a predator. At Tundra Town's Main Square, many citizens saw an opossum scratching and biting trash cans, they called to the local asylum because they thought he was an animal suffering from mental faculties, but after he attacked a giraffe who worked near the place, the citizens called the police in order to subdue the dangerous predator. The police caught the opossum and the giraffe received immediate medical aid for minor wounds, both animals will remain under observation indefinitely to guarantee their health and to find a possible cure for this unknown disease that has turned 16 mammals savage so far. all of them, predators...'_

   "Well, besides the mysterious savage mammals case, I didn't notice anything odd, if you're talking about how they blame subtlety predators, it's pretty normal, they always have feared us and talk crap about us, isn't it?"

   "Shut your mouth and keep watching."

' _... they are still investigating the causes of this strange behaviour in mammals and suggest to all the citizens to keep calm and continue with your lives as normal. In case you see a mammal acting odd, remain calm, call the ZPD and walk away to prevent any incident. Now, let's end the news with...'_

   "Thank you, Joe, you can turn it off now."

   The big hippo did what the little fox requested and turned off the huge screen, then, the bar came back with its usual noises.

   "Really Finnick, this city has discriminated against us forever, especially for being foxes and..."

   "Ok," the tiny fox cut him off "now pay attention around you."

   Nick turned back to see all the mammals at the bar. In less than a minute, he noticed the sad and anxiety faces of most of the animals, many of them were very worried. Some of the predators and the few prey were talking on phone. He was able to hear phrases like 'Did you watch the news?', 'Are you ok?', 'Keep away from any predator and come home!' among other things, even some mammals at the bar asked for the bill. Nick felt the rejection again and the disdain he'd felt years ago, not only for being a fox but a predator. That's how he got Finnick's point of view.

   "You maybe can't remember it, but about 30 or so years ago, there was a very similar incident that threatened the relationship between prey and predators. Fear and chaos surrounded the whole city, our kind were the most affected party, but prey also experienced hard times. The absence of predators caused collateral damage to the economy and lifestyle of any kind of mammals. Many months later, the conflict was solved and things returned to normality, apparently. But all the side effects, lost jobs, broken friendships, fear and disdain between species are still present to this date. Susan and I still remember those dark times, and the savage mammal case sounds very familiar to the other incident. I didn't wanna believe it, but after this awful day and the rhino's reaction, I can't stop but remember those hard times."

   "Ok, ok I get it. But isn't it too early to jump to conclusions? It's a more advanced and modern age, maybe they'll find a cure next week or..."

   "So begins boy, with fear." Finnick said very seriously "Mass hysteria is a problem once it starts, it's very hard to stop; if mammals are this scared for single savage opossum... I don't wanna imagine what would happen with many more cases with injured mammals or worse. I wanna believe it's gonna end soon or it won't be a big deal but, in my experience, I only can tell you one thing..."

   "Finnick..."

   "Brace yourself for the worse." he sentenced gloomily "Ok, maybe I was overreacting a bit ha, ha." he said in a more relaxing tone after seeing Nick's scared face "But don't let your guard down, if you want to patch things up with your friend, you have to do it as soon as possible, before the city's atmosphere get worse."

   "Ok Fin', I'll do that, thank you so much for every..."

   "Papapapa!" Finnick cut him off waving his front paws "Say no more, I haven't done anything more than helping a business partner, let me worry about myself; if you really want to thank me, you and your girlfriend owe me one round until you solve this, right?"

   "Ha, ok Finnick, I'll do that too."

* * *

 

   It was night and Nick was resting on his bed but couldn't sleep, he was thinking about everything; about the things Finnick told him; about the savage animals and especially about her. He carried the little carrot pen recorder with both paws, the one the naive but brave bunny had given him. He couldn't remember why he didn't get rid of it even if he was mad with Judy, the same way he threw away the fake badge and the ZPD application, but in the end, he felt calmer because at least he had a little something to remember her by. He kept thinking about what he was going to do tomorrow when he saw her again... He may have exceptional communication skills but he was afraid of being speechless around her. Some minutes later, he left the pen recorder on his bedroom desk and tried to sleep.

   "Ok Carrots, tomorrow I'm going to fix this whole mess."

   The fox closed his eyes and some minutes later he fell asleep thinking with the idea of seeing his little friend the next day.

 

*******

** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits: Cover pic made by the great and talented Rem (rem289). The other pic was made by mistermead.


	5. Cupid Clawhauser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to fix things with Judy, Nick goes directly at the ZPD, where he finds a very kind and big police officer who confuses Nick with a very special someone for the bunny.

* * *

##  Chapter 4: Cupid Clawhauser

* * *

 

"Today is the day!"

   Said Nick confidently. There had been three days since he has talked with Finnick, however, even if he intended to see Judy the next day, he procrastinated the meeting for many different pretexts: because he didn't know what to tell her, where she lives, the places she frequents, or just to have a good excuse to see her again without sounding too desperate, but, after 3 days of fooling around, he had gathered the courage to meet the bunny again. He was wearing his best red hawaiian shirt, a yellow and white stripes tie and light green pants. He has taken a shower, brushed his tail, shaved his whiskers and splash on some perfume, it seemed he was more ready for a date than to bring a friend back together. He was about to procrastinate it again, but regret about it at the last second because he thought it was enough and he can't waste more time.

   It was almost 5 o'clock, Nick was outside the Zootopia Police Department. His 3 days of letting the time pass wasn't entirely in vain, he has investigated something in the meantime, because Judy was new around the city, he didn't find useful data, but at least, he knew her police shift finished at 5:30 p.m. and he thought it was a nice time to reunite with her "by coincidence". The vulpine went into big building very nervous, but he hid it very well, one of the many pros of being a con artist, but he hopes don't lose his cool when he'll meet the bunny again. The fox was a very talkative, confident to speak mammal, but this whole mess was making him lost control and it was a bit hard for him to have this thoughts and feelings in order. He took a deep breath and went directly to the police receiver where a big cheetah was eating happily some donuts.

   "Welcome to the Zootopia Police Department. What can I do for you to...?" the feline said.

   Officer Clawhauser, the donuts-addicted receptionist, and other kinds of junk food greeted Nick, but he stopped when he recognized the fox.

   "It's you! Owwww ho ho ho." the cheetah laugh while he was clapping his paws with joy.

   "Hello? Do we know each other?" Nick said raising an eyebrow and genuinely amazed because he always try to maintain a low profile in the police circle, and he definitely would remember a chubby cheetah.

   "Of course... well, we don't know formally, but Judy has told me a lot of you... you are... What name she said? Rick Tilde?"

   "What? She told you about me!?"

   "But of course! Officer Hopps doesn't stop talking about you Ricky."

   "Ummm, no, no, I'm Nick Wilde, Officer...?"

   "Benjamin Clawhauser.Your charming ZPD receptionist and radio dispatcher. At your disposal, handsome."

   The feline took the fox paws with his own and greeted him energetically. The vulpine still was processing the info the officer gave him, Judy doesn't stop talking about him? It seemed he wasn't the only one thinking in each other. Nick felt relieved, he thought to fix things with the bunny will be easier than expected.

   "Nice to meet you too, it's a pleasure to meet you, officer Clawhauser." he replied with a friendly tone and smiling him.

   "Oh, stop it, you'll make me blush."

   "I want to have a chat with Officer Judy. Do you know where she is?"

   "Well not exactly, but she probably is about to finish her stake out, actually, I just remember something..."

   The police officer took the intercom, pressed a button and start talking by the mic.

   "Officer Hopps! Officer Hopps! I have something very big to tell you, there he is your friend, Ni... Mph!"

   Nick cut off Clawhauser blocking his muzzle with a paw and covering the radio's mic with the other one.

   "W-what are doing!?" The fox asked him furiously.

   "Ihum, Imhe thjleght youhg wanmphted toh talpmg wifght Jumphdy" Clawhauser replied him even if he can't speak clearly.

   "I didn't mean talking by radio, I just ask where she was!"

   "This is Officer Hopps. Clawhauser? Sorry, but I can't understand the last part, Could you repeat it again? Over." Judy responded by the radio.

   "Judy..." Nick whispered when he heard the bunny's voice "Please, don't tell her I'm here. Can you do me a favor?"

   Clawhauser nodded strongly. Nick released him distrustfully.

   "Clawhauser? Are you still there? Over."

   "Yeah Jude, Officer Clawhauser here. I have something very important to tell you." he said in a very serious tone "Could you bring me some jelly doughnuts when you come back, please?" the fat mammal asked happily "Over."

   "Sorry Clawhauser, my shift has just finished. But tomorrow I'll bring you a whole box! And please, I prefer you use this channel only for savage mammal alert or... if you know something about... him..." she said very sorely "Over."

   "Don't worry little bunny, tomorrow it's okay, sorry for bothering you. See ya. Over."

   "See you tomorrow! Over and out."

   The ZPD receptionist put down the intercom and he and Nick sighed almost at the same time.

   "Thank you very much officer Clawhauser, you're an excellent and noble police animal."

   "Enough, you're welcome, also, your little friend owe me a jelly doughnut box ho, ho, ho." he said joyfully "But tell me one thing. Why did you ask me this? I thought you and she had a fight and both of you wanted to... No... No way! Oooohhhhh..." he acted strangely happy.

   "What?"

   "Isn't it obviously? You and the officer Judy... How cute! How romantic! You are about to declaring your love for her, isn't it?"

   "WHAT!? Wait a second, I'm not...!"

   Nick grimacing to himself. First Finnick and now this guy. Why everyone thinks the same thing? It makes more sense if they were the same species, but... A rabbit and a fox? What a ridiculous idea, he thought. However, of this embarrassing situation he got a brilliant idea.

   "Ok Clawhauser, you got me there. Yes, you're right" Nick confessed sounding cogent.

   "Uuuuhhhhhh, I knew it! I knew it!" the feline cried out very excited.

   "I'm very eager to fix things with officer Hopps but, I wanna surprise her, so, I don't know if you could..."

   "I got it, that's why you don't want to say a word, isn't it?"

   "Exactly, that's why I prefer we keep this between you and me, agree?"

   "Yes, yes yes! I get it, I won't said nothing, especially to Judy. Can I help you with anything else? Ask me whatever you want!

   Nick smiled to himself. Clawhauser seemed to be easily manipulable and fickle; he just pretended to be in love with the bunny and the cheetah already was begging to help him with anything, this was a great opportunity he couldn't pass up.

   "You know..." Nick said while he was getting close to Clawhauser's ear as if he was about to tell him a big secret "I have in mind having a talk with the sweet officer Hopps, to fix things with her... and of course, confess..." Nick tried to keep from laughing y sound convincing "my feelings for her, but, as the terrific romantic fox I am, I wanna surprise her, so she won't be able to resist my charms."

   "Aww, how romantic!" Clawhauser said very pleased.

   "So... Would you be so kind as to give me officer Hopps' address? And then she and I could bump into each other 'casually' at her neighborhood and surprise her. What do you think?"

   "Hehe, I'd love to do that, but, I can't..." the cheetah replied sadly.

   "What?" said the fox when his plan was frustrated immediately "B-b-but... Didn't you said you help me whatever I want?"

   "About that... that's top secret info, we're not allowed to share our partners' personal data with civilians. Can you imagine what would happen if any criminal knows where the good guys live? It'd be horrible, horrible, hoooooorrible!" Clawhauser said very concernedly "I could help you with anything else, but not with that."

   "I understand your worry, it seems you're a good police big guy."

   "Ho ho, well thanks..."

   "But come on! I think you can't make an exception here in the name of love, isn't it? I don't think it takes you a lot of time go to Records, pick up some files and give me the address of my dear Carrots "

   "What year do you think we are? Actually, all the department info is already on the ZPD Network, I could give you Hopps' info right now from my iCarrot if I want it, but really, I can't. If Chief Bogo notices it I..."

   "Clawhauser!" a deep voice yelled behind them.

   "Ayyy!" the cheetah moaned surprisingly with a shrill voice like a female.

   Speaking of the devil, the police boss, a huge and dark gray fur Cape buffalo, the Chief Bogo appeared suddenly and hasn't noticed the presence of a fox.

   "I have been trying to communicate with you for more than 10 minutes! Why the hell you turned off your radio? I need to find... What is this..." he saw Nick scornfully "fox doing here?"

   Nick had a very bad feeling about this, it seems things won't go well after this.

 

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry for take so long to translate this little chapter but I've been very busy. I'll try to update the next one as soon as possible. Thank you for reading it.
> 
> Credits: Cover pic made by たわし (Tawashi).


	6. Admiral Bogo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Nick has a chat for a while with Clawhauser about Judy, chief Bogo interrupts them and tries to intimidate the fox, but the vulpine won't give up easily against the police boss because he can't leave the station without knowing Judy's whereabouts.

* * *

## Chapter 5: Admiral Bogo

* * *

At the Zootopia Police Department, a fox and a cheetah was having a nice chat, until both of them were interrupted abruptly by a gray fur buffalo, the main leader of the police officers, the chief Bogo, Nick knew the things could get complicated with this unpleasant mammal who had bullied Judy, luckily, the canid also knew exactly how to deal with dudes like him.

   "Good afternoon, officer Sitting Bull" Nick greeted him cynically.

   "Sonova b... chief Bogo for you!" the huge buffalo replied him very mad.

   "Oh my bad, Major Bogo, nice to meet you again, I'm Nick Wilde." said the fox teasing him.

   "Chief...!" the big mammal tried to not fly off the handle with the vulpine "Chief Bogo. And yes Mr. Wilde, unfortunately, I already have known your name, officer Hopps doesn't shut up to talk about 'the amazing super fox who helped her to crack up the case'." he imitated mockingly Judy's voice "Clawhauser! What's HE doing here?"

   "S-s-sir, Mr. Wilde just wanted to..." he looked at Nick has made a paw gesture to shutting him up "... wanted to know if officer Hopps has already come back from her patrol."

   "Clawhauser, you know very well we couldn't give sensitive information to any mammal, especially if they're are..."

   "Come on Captain Bogo, just spill it." Nick cut him off "criminals, con artists, liars, blackmailers... foxes..."

   "Chief Bogo for you! And I was about to said civilians. It's not allowed to share personal information of police members. We can't expose our partners' life to anyone. I'm sorry to have wasted your time Mr. Wilde, but here you won't find what are you looking for."

   "Feh, you're right. Why did I think coming to ask help at the ZPD in the first place? If they couldn't find 14 missing mammals. Why did I think they could help me to find a single one?" Nick said sarcastically.

   "Listen to me, fox!" Chief Bogo replied him furiously while he was yelling in his face "What Hopps and you made was just luck. I made the whole freaking department and my best guys looking for them and we found nothing, even if you found them first, this was nothing but just a stroke of..."

   "Luck? Nah, it was more like a miracle to me." answered Nick confronting him with determination "You send a novice officer to make a professional detective job, forcing her to find a lost mammal in less the time you didn't find nothing. Not info, not proper equipment, not help from anyone. Whether you want to admit or not, Commander Bogo, luck, skill, miracle, instinct, officer Carr... errr... Hopps made her job, like a real fuzz."

   "Chief Bogo!"

   "Is it everything you could say, huh? Good, I think I'll keep searching real cops for my own." Nick turned and walked away from the two officers "See ya officer Clawhauser. Goodbye, Sergeant Bogo. Nice to meet you."

   Chief Bogo banged his fist on the desk while he was seeing a fox get out the place from the main door.

   "Curse you Wilde! You think you know everything? If I wasn't in uniform, I'd take a swing at..."

   The big buffalo clenched his fist impotently, took a deep breath in order to calm down and turned back to the station receptionist.

   "Clawhauser!"

   "Yipp! Yes Sir?"

   "I need you to locate officer Delgato. If he isn't dealing with a savage mammal menace, tell him to stop doing whatever he's doing now and go to see me at my office as soon as possible. Got it Clawhauser?"

   "R-roger big cheese... err.. I mean... Anything else sir?"

   "Yeah..." He said calmly "If you'll see that fox again, get him out here. If he refuse, call me immediately and I'll take care of him personally. Understood?"

   "Y-yes Chief Bogo, I'll do that."

   "Good, keep working Clawhauser."

   Chief Bogo went directly to his office while Clawhauser sighed with relief. He admired the chief but he stressed him a lot when he got mad. So as to calm himself, he sat down, turned his chair back and began looking for a bag of chips.

   "Hello!" Nick said taking the cheetah for surprise.

   "Argh!"

   Inside the Clawhauser's reception desk, there was Nick, who slipped through the police department without being seen.

   "Sorry to scare you Clawhauser."

   "I almost had a heart attack" he sighed "Never mind," he said relieved, "I thought you had gone. Since you're down there... Would you mind passing me the chips bag behind you? You know, for the scare...

   "Errr... Doesn't you prefer a soda bottle?" he passed him a beverage "I heard it's more suitable for a scare."

   "I think you're right, thanks!" he took the bottle happily "You're very kind Nick, probably that's why she misses you."

   The fox got interested in the latter.

   "Did she really miss me?"

   "Yeah, she doesn't stop talking about you." he pulled out a drinking straw, opened the bottle and begun sobbing his soda "Every time someone congratulation her about the missing mammal case, she always says it was a team work with a kind fox, there's no day somebody doesn't ask her about your big achievement, your story is pretty popular in the police station, especially with the tiny mammals who work at the department's administrative division. "He made a brief pause to give a big sip to his drink" Ah! Both of you are a great inspiration for big and small mammals."

   "For everyone except for Chief Buffalo-Butt." Nick said listlessly.

   "Shush, don't say so." he waved a paw mannerly "Chief Bogo could be a little temperamental, but deep down he's a kind hearted animal. Even if he doesn't admit it in public, Judy herself told me he apologize with her for being so mean and underestimate her, he actually admires what she has done. He may be a grumpy and strict mammal, but he is enough mature to recognize his own faults... well, most of the time, anyway, once you know him better, you'll realize he's a very good fella, we don't call him boss for nothing."

   "Oh, I see, so he just hates foxes. Great."

   "Well... his wife told me once he has had bad experiences with foxes and... I think you more than anyone know the bad reputation about your own species, no offense."He took another sip of his soda "I think Judy's words about you only infuriated him more instead of inspired him or I don't know, maybe he got mad for the way you talk with him or it's just pride, hohoho." he laughed sincerely "Yeah, Chief Bogo is extremely proud."

   Clawhauser finished drinking his beverage and kept slurping the last soda drops making an annoying sound while Nick was stretching his legs impatiently.

    "Whatever, I don't think I can see Judy here." the canid said while he was caressing her temple and thinking about a plan to locate the bunny "Listen Clawhauser, I changed my mind, I'll surprise my dear Carrots another day, I think my romantic side has to wait and I just try to amend things with her."

   "Oh, don't give up foxy, I wish I have the courage to help you more, just like Gazelle said in her songs, just like this one: "Ah, ah, ah ,ah, try everything..." Clawhauser started singing out of tune.

   "Nah, don't worry." Nick cut him off. "I'm glad at least I have a friend here. Well, I just wait for her outside the station 'till she finishes her shift. Goodbye and thanks for everything officer Clawhauser."

   Nick went out from the hideout, but the fat feline stopped him.

   "Wait! Don't waste your time, she won't come back here today."

   "What did you just say?"

   "Now I remember it, Judy is not on her stakeout, she asked to leave early to visit Mr. Otterton."

   "Mr. Otterton? The teensy otter we rescued?"

   "That's right, Judy is concerned about him because he's still a savage mammal, so she kept visiting him and his wife at the Zootopia General Hospital No. 6."

   "Why didn't you just say so?" Nick asked annoyed.

   "Well, you seemed more interested to know her address so I don't think you wanna..."

   "Ok, forget it, it doesn't matter, then I go to see her there immediately..."

   "But you aren't going to arrive in time, the hospital is at Tundra Town's borders and the visiting hours are about to end, There's no point to go."

   "Damn!"

   "But if you're interested, Judy already has asked another pass to leave early to see Mr. Otterton..."

   "When? What time?" he cut him off insistently.

   "Give me a second..." Clawhauser turned his chair and began searching the info via his computer "A day after tomorrow, at 3 o'clock... Oh no!" the cheetah said with worry.

   "What, what happened?" the fox asked said alarmed.

   "I just gave you classified information, if chief Bogo hears of it... " the feline lamented.

   "Don't worry Clawhauser, I don't tell a soul about it, I'll keep your secret if you keep mine."

   Nick got out the desk quickly and walked away to the exit.

   "Thank you Clawhauser, you're my hero!"

   "Oww, stop it or I'll blush. You're welcome and good luck!" the cheetah yelled in the distance.

   Just behind the fox, Nick saw a buffalo with glasses walking towards him without notice him.

   "See ya, Admiral Bogo." Nick said cynically while he's leaving the station.

   "See ya, Wilde..." he took off his glasses and looked at the department's exit "Wilde? WILDE!?"

   The sly fox walked away from the Zootopia Police Department with a big smile on his face.

 

*******

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hope you enjoy it, What do you thing about the second chat between Nick and Bogo? Well sorry for taking a while to translate this one, and sadly maybe this month the next chapter will take a while, but don't worry and be patient. Until the next update, see ya, everyone!
> 
> P.D. I wrote a short Zootopia one-shot called "Halloween indecent proposal", please check my profile for more details, if you like Dumb Fox you probably love this one, it's more focused on Judy and Nick relationship, humor and a gorgeous Judy wearing a bunny suit.
> 
> Credits: Cover pic made by rworomeo.


	7. Fouse M. D.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick tries to meet Judy at the hospital where Mr. Otterton was interned, but obviously, this isn't a place where a fox could enter easily, because of this, the vulpine has a perfect plan to fool the hospital security.

* * *

## Chapter 6: Fouse M. D.

* * *

It was around 2:30 pm at Tundra Town, the place was terribly cold, as expected for a habitat designed for such climate, fortunately, everything was a bit warmer inside the General Hospital No. 6, a huge medical building of about 37 stories specialized in animals with mental illness, although it also offered emergency attention and general purposes. However, the facilities were designed especially to endure the most violent and strongest attacks of the biggest mammals, making this the best place to deal with mammals diagnosed as 'savage' (legally but in secret in order to prevent panic). In that place were hospitalized the original 14 missing mammals and 11 new cases diagnosed with the same disease.

   Meanwhile, on the ground floor near the admission area, there were many patients and their respective relatives or friends waiting for their turns, doctors, and hospital staff members and a young and nonchalant she-skunk nurse who was more interested in checking her cell phone than to attend people at the information booth.

   "Miss." a caribou said "When are you gonna attend us? I have been waiting my turn for more than 45 minutes, not even the sloths are that slow."

   "My break haven't finished yet, please be patient, sir." the nurse answered him arrogantly while she was checking her phone notifications.

   "This is outrageous!" The mammal complained.

   Some minutes later, an old fox got close slowly to the same info booth, he was wearing a white lab coat for doctors, a pair of glasses, a patch of gray fur like a beard just below his chin and a fancy brown cane which he used as support because he limped on his right leg.

   "Good afternoon nurse." the old doctor said with a dry voice as the elder he was "I am Dr. Gregory Fouse from the Department of Diagnostic Medicine, I was just transferred to this hospital in order to..."

   "A fox doctor?" she cut him off "Now I've seen everything!" she said mockingly.

   "I'd be more impressed to meet a skunk who doesn't stink, but it'd be a rude thing to said, nurse." the doctor said sarcastically, then he sniffed her "Is that Musk #5? What a sophisticated perfume!"

   "Feh." she growled clearly offended "I have never heard about a fox doctor. Could you show me your id or I have to call the police already?"

   "Beside a nurse, you're also a detective? Oh, what a girl! Oh, damn, I left my briefcase in my other pants, but hey, I can demonstrate easily I'm the doctor for a very particular patient here."

   "How do you intend to do it, smartypants?"

   "I dunno, if I wasn't a doctor. How would I know we have...? 25 savage and dangerous animals at this hospital!" the doctor yelled scaring the nurse and the patients around "But it's a secret! Please don't tell anyone." he said in a calmer and cynical tone.

   "Be quiet or you gonna frighten everybody! This doesn't prove anything..."

   "Look, detective, me knowing this only means 4 possible things:" he showed the four fingers of his left paw, the one that doesn't held the cane "One. I'm a police officer. Two. I'm a relative of the animal in question. Three. I'm a hospital employee as a, I dunno, a boring and prepotent nurse..."

   "Sonova..!" the nurse cut him off angrily.

   "And Four. An old, handicapped but very clever doctor with bad luck who forgot his id at his home. And very good looking for his age! Now, what do you think? So will it be Option number one, option number two, option number three or...?" he kept teasing the bicolor mammal.

   "I like this guy." a male pig said while he's waiting his turn "He put the nurse in her place in less than a minute, I hope she'll attend us soon."

   "Enough!" the skunk exclaimed very annoyingly.

   "Now do you believe me? Because I can shout louder and...!"

   "Yes, yes I believe you but shut up! The heck you want?"

   "Would you mind telling me where's Mr. Emmitt Otterton admitted? He's the only otter diagnosed as savage mammal at this place."

   "If you're his new doctor they should you gave you the patient's medical file which it said the room number, if you forgot it, go to the doctor's room and request another one."

   "Yeah, I know but this info booth is closer than the doctor's room; if you haven't noticed yet, I'm not carrying this cane to be in fashion, dead muscles was retired from my right leg, in medical terms, it means it hurts like hell and I prefer to walk the less possible, I also know it doesn't take too long to check your computer and gives me a copy of Mr. Otterton's medical file from here, so, if you wouldn't mind..."

   "I'm not getting paid to do this, don't be lazy, use the elevator, it's on the third floor, the third door to the left; now, let me do my work, they only paid me for to give information and to make appointments, no more, go to bother someone else."

   "You? Working? Those poor mammals have been waiting for you about an hour because it's more important Facezook than provide a good service and attend them."

   "He's right!" said the pig who kept hearing the conversation along with other animals.

   "I don't see you very busy, so..."

   "Hello? Cody! How are you best friend? You'll see I..."

   The black and white fur mammal left the fox hanging and answered not so important phone call, she turned her back to the doctor and left the info booth, the elder saw incredulously while whisperings were heard around.

   "Could you believe it? She doesn't even obey the doctor" the pig said.

   "Inconceivable, is this a good service?" a mare commented.

   "Hey! Miss, miss? Could you hear me, please? Miss?" the old fox claimed unsuccessfully.

   "What did you say?" the skunk replied.

   "I said if you could tell me where's Mr..."

   "Sorry Cody, I couldn't hear you, there's a lot of noisy and..." she looked at the fox contemptuously "troublesome mammals here." she turned again and ignored everyone.

   "Hey, listen!" the doctor shouted while he followed the skunk slowly because of his injured leg "Nurse! I can't walk faster, please don't go when I'm ta... AAAHHHHHH!"

   The elder tried to reach the obnoxious skunk vainly, but he tripped and fell spectacularly against the floor, whipping his cane and making a big noise that made every mammal looked at him.

   "Good Heavens! Are you alright?" the same mare asked him with worry.

   "Ouch my leg!" the poor fox complained while he tightened up his leg with both paws.

   "Quick kids, help me to lift him up!" the pig ordered to his two children.

   "NO!" the elder shouted so loud than even the she-skunk turned to look at him "I have no need for your pity! Do you think I can't do it by myself?" the vulpine yelled grumpily "Maybe I was an old fox with an injured leg" he reached and took his cane "... but I'm not a disabled. I'm not a worthless!"

   The pig tried to take the fox by the arm but he refused, loosening up immediately and slowly he stood up aided only by his cane.

   "Are you okay?" the she-skunk asked very worried "I'll call you later Cody" she whispered to his phone.

   "Yes miss, I'm fine." he replied her annoyed while he shook off his pants and coat "Because you only could provide information, would you mind telling me where's the Office of Human Resources? I just remembered they can also give me a copy of the patient's medical file there, and also, I'll leave a complain to the Director about the hospital staff."

   "T-t-t the Director!? Hey, Doctor Fouse, wait a second!" the nurse exclaimed with fear.

   "Could I go with you?" the mare asked the fox.

   "Me too? We could go together to complain about the bad service." the pig added "Do you really are ok?"

   "That's not necessary, I can for my own! But... having witnesses that support you doesn't sound bad..." the fox pondered with his paw on the chin.

   "I know where's Human Resources, doctor!" a tall caribou commented.

   The vulpine and the rest of the mammals walked away together from the info booth.

   "Wait, Doctor Fouse, this isn't necessary, Doctor Fouse... Doctor Fouse!"

   The nurse left her post and reached the elder. After a long chat between the patients, the skunk and the doctor, the nurse came back to her post, began to work and gave Mr. Otterton's medical file to the old fox doctor.

* * *

    10 minutes and 20 stories later, the old doctor was outside the elevator and he walked directly to the room 2077, where the otter diagnosed as savage was hospitalized. At the room's entrance, a wolf with a dart rifle was waiting for him and, without wasting more time, he opened the door not before warning that the patient was extremely dangerous and call him if he needed something.

   "Thank you very much young wolf." the fox said while he was closing the door "Whew! That was a close one!" he said with a younger voice.

   The doctor took off the coat, the glasses and even the fake beard, revealing a young fox, Nick. He looked sideways the room and saw no one, he looked at the wall clock that showing 3:30, it seemed he has taken the little performance too serious. Then he looked to the right and instead of a patient bed there was a big transparent wall that divided the room and inside it, there was an empty habitat like the one he and Judy saw when they found the missing mammals almost a week ago. Nick got close to the big window looking for the otter.

   "GRGRGRRGRGRGRARARA"

   "Shoot, sonova...!"

   Nick was taken off-guard by a wild Mr. Otterton who was hidden below some of the habitat's furnishings, luckily, he wasn't scared for so long because the otter was tied up to a big pole at the center of his room.

   "Well, I think you haven't changed a little, Mr. Otterton"

   "Excuse me but, who are you?"

   "Ah?"

   A little female otter entered the room, she was wearing a big lavender sweater and carried a hospital food tray. She was Mrs. Otterton, Emmitt's wife. 

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again articulate fellas! Sorry to take too long but I have been very busy with my life, here you have a new chapter. Sorry if it feels a bit like a filler, but I want to write a chapter showing Nick's master of disguise abilities and make some references. If you didn't catch it, this episode is strongly inspired by one of my favorite TV drama series of all time, House M.D. The same way Zootopia have a lot of references, I wanted to make the same with my fanfic, personally, I always had thought that Nick's personality before being Judy's friend was alike to House; a sarcastic man, brutality honest and insensitive, but very funny at the same time. I hope I had done a good job with Doctor Fouse personality.
> 
> This episode is dedicated to all those bureaucrats and other government employees who make Flash and his friends look like fast gazelles.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope to update this translation soon, Nick is about to meet the sweet and gorgeous Mrs. Otterton. See ya!
> 
> Credits: Cover pic made by artrockt, also know as つーあん (Tsuuan)


	8. Mrs. Otterton's Tips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting to the hospital where Nick planned to meet again with Judy, he meets the Emmitt's wife, Mrs. Otterton. While they waiting for the bunny, the she-otter gives him some advices.

* * *

## Chapter 7: Mrs. Otterton's Tips

* * *

After some inconveniences, Nick had entered the room where Mr. Otterton was interned, but the fox just met someone who definitely wasn't Judy. A little she-otter entered the same room, she was a middle-aged but gorgeous female; she had a confused and sad look, her beautiful emerald-green-eyes watched the confused vulpine. The semi-aquatic mammal was wearing a lavender sweater and an informal but comfy purple clothes as the mother she was, while she carried a hospital food tray.

   “Ah, hello errrrrrr… Mrs. Otterton, right?” the fox asked awkwardly.

   “Yes, Who…?”

   “I’m a… errr… an old friend of your husband, I was walking around the neighborhood  and I just came to say hello.”

   “Really? Here? At the borders of Tundratown?”

   “Oh yeah, I work here. You’ll see, my partner and I freeze in this place some, ah, um, oh I mean, we have some freezers and we make some Pawpsicles, Have you ever heard about them?”

   “Pawpsicles? Wait a second, you are… Nick… Nick Tilde?”

   Nick sighed and grimed his face off.

   “Almost. Nick Wilde. I'm starting to think Carrot was misspelling wrong my name on purpose.” he said rubbing his temple.

   “Haha, you even call the bunny with that name, It’s you without a doubt!”

   Suddenly, the she-otter left the tray over the table and threw herself against Nick and gave him a big hug, taking the fox by the guard down.

   “Thank you, thank you very much for finding and bringing back my Emmitt, foxy.”

   “Errrrr… yeah, you’re welcome, but actually,  officer Hopps made all the job.”

   “Hey, don’t be so modest, the bunny told me you helped her to crack the case. If you hadn't aided her, none of this would have been possible.” she said while burying her face against his chest.

   “RAAAAA… RRRRRROOOOOOAAARRRRRR...” Mr. Otterton growled from the other side of the glass.

   “Um… Madame, I really appreciate your gratitude, but I think we’re annoying your husband.”

   “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she released Nick ashamedly “Excuse me, but I’m a bit sickeningly sweet, that’s what my Emmitt used to tell me all the time… ah, my dear Emmitt...” the poor otter mentioned it with sorrow.

   “Please take a seat Mrs. Otterton, you must be very tired.”

   The otter and the fox settled down on the room’s sofa.

   “You have no idea, Mr. Wilde.”

   “And how is your husband, Mrs. Otterton?”

   “Same as when you and she found him, he behaves savagely, I haven’t been able to communicate with him, he doesn’t understand me and doesn’t seem to recognize me. I tried to hug him as always, but… but…” said the otter on the verge of tears.

   “Say no more, Mrs.Otterton.” commented in a warm voice.

   “That ... that’s not my Emmitt…” she cried bitterly.

   Nick couldn’t help empathizing with the poor otter; he wasn’t a hugger, but he didn’t hesitate to extend both paws and embrace the afflicted wife.

   “Take it easy ma’am, your husband is still there, you just have to wait a little more until they find the cure,” he told in a soft way as he rubbed her back "don’t give up and be patient, we’re in a time of several technological and medical advances, they won’t take a long time to find a cure.”

   “Thank you, foxy,” she sobbed “you and your friend give me strength and hope in these hard times.”

    “RARRR RRROOOOOOOOOORRR RRAAAAAAAAAA.” The wild otter snarled.

   “As you can see, Mr. Otterton goes mad every time you hugs me, I’m not an expert, but he seems clearly jealous, so, if you wanted proof that he’s your husband, there you have it.”

   “You’re right, foxy, thank you very much, you’re very tender,” she said, touched. “I see why the bunny likes you hehe.”

   “Wh-wha-what?”

   Mrs. Otterton’s last statement astonished Nick so much that he immediately released the she-otter.

   “Sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

   “No, no, no, not at all. Did Carrots really say that?” Nick asked, confused.

   “Well, she didn’t say it, but because of how well she talks about you, I thought you and she were …”

   “FRIENDS!” He interrupted, almost shouting. “That’s what we are, Carrots is a bit emotional, maybe she just overdid a little and…”

   “Okay, I’m sorry for the confusion, but two such different species, even being just friends, sounds very beautiful, if I may say so. That’s why you’re here and not for my husband, right Mr. Wilde?”

   “No, no, of course not, I was around the place and I just wanted to…”

   Nick saw the huge green eyes of the tender otter, her gaze was revealing she had already discovered him. He just looked away with embarrassment.

   “Don’t worry, foxy, I’m not angry, on the contrary, I’m very glad, the poor bunny told me everything, about her argument with you, how bad she feels, and how much she wants to sort things out with you.”

   “Really?”

   “Yes, although she’s so afraid you reject her, to hate her for what she said to you, to think she is not sincere and to tell her that you do not want to see her again, she said she would not bear it, and she doesn’t want to hurt you even more.”

   “I... I had no idea…” muttered the vulpine with a little guilt, “I didn’t think I was so important to Carrots.”

   “Yes, the she-rabbit said you changed her life, and gave her a whole new way of looking at the world, especially at the predators’ side; she told me later all the savage mammals topic hasn’t let her sleep.”

   “Really?”

   “Yeah, the poor bunny was having a bad time, she isn’t just very stressed with her job, besides the whole savage animals crisis, she thinks the friction between predators and prey is her fault…”

   “Got damn! It's my fault! Now Carrots feels terrible for my senselessness and my pride.” Nick whined.

   “Cool down foxy, there’s no point in seeing who’s to blame. She, you, both of you need a good friend right now, the two are just very repentant; Talk, forgive yourselves and together you can support each other and get along as before.” the otter advised him as she slowly rubbed his shoulder.

   “I don’t know what to think. And if she doesn’t forgive me? If she really fears me or distrusts me like the others? If she doesn’t want close to her a filthy and disgusting fox like me...?”

   “Enough.” She covered his mouth with a finger “Don’t hurt yourself like that. From what she told me, and from what I see here, you are a good, loyal and trustworthy friend, you being a fox or a predator doesn’t matter. And if you don’t believe me, the only way to know the truth is talking to her. Cheer up, Mr. Wilde!” she said, clutching his paws with those of the fox.

   Nick felt some relief at her words, shrugged, then sighed a little relieved.

   “I think you’re right, thank you, Ms. Otterton, you’re a good adviser.”

   “There is nothing to thank for, I still owe you what you and the bunny did for my family.”

* * *

   Nick and Mrs. Otterton continued talking as they waited for Judy, who was almost an hour late, something unusual according to the she-otter; meanwhile, she told stories to the fox to hang out.

   “No way! Did you and your husband meet at the naturalist club?” Nick asked in disbelief.

   “Yes, I used to frequent the place since I was single, but one day, while I was sunbathing, naked in a beach chair…”

   “Umm, I’d rather you omit some details, I don’t think your husband feel comfortable with you...”

   “Nah, he loved I tell those things.” she said without shame “But anyway. Suddenly, I felt an animal blocked the sunlight, when I opened my eyes to see who it was, that’s when I first saw him. In front of me was a nervous otter, trembling and sweating, and with all the courage of the world, he came and asked me almost stammering ‘What time is it?’ Oh dear heaven, you should have seen him, it was so embarrassing, but at the same time, so sweet... and so cute…”

   “I can’t imagine how…”

   “The poor otter didn’t stop trembling and couldn’t see direct to my eyes without being ashamed…”

   “Well, it’s not like if he didn’t have a better place to look at…”

   “But he didn’t give up and we started to talk a little, and then he became more confident, he talked more safely and even ended up telling some jokes, and then that’s when he began to conquer me, with those beautiful eyes, his mustache, his dancing moves, and holy heaven! His _big_ and _huge_ …”

   “Emmm, I think it’s too much information…” Nick interrupted her very distressed.

   “... smile. I think I can never forget the big smile that my Emmitt had that day”

   “Phew... that was a close one.”

   Suddenly, Mrs. Otterton’s cell phone began to ring, she separated from Nick, took the phone out of her sweater and answered.

   “Hello? Judy? Hey bunny! How are...? Yes ... oh ... yes, bunny, don’t worry, I understand. Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, my Emmitt’s okay and so I am, don’t worry honey. Yes, I‘m fine, someone else came to see my husband today, so, don’t worry any more Judy... Don’t apologize, bunny, and don’t worry anymore; go to your house, try to rest and relax ... Hey! Don’t you wanna talk with a friend I think you know him, his name’s Ni... Hey? Hello?” the she-otter hung off her phone “Poor bunny, she probably ran out of battery to his cell phone.”

   "It was Judy, isn’t?"

   “Yeah, the poor girl talked to me to tell me that she had a police emergency about another savage mammal and she couldn’t come to see my Emmitt today. She feel bad ’cause she couldn’t arrive today.”

   “I told her not to worry, that someone else had already come, I wanted to pass she to you, but the call was cut off.”

   “I see.”

   “I’m sorry you couldn’t see your friend today and you’ve wasted your time…”

   “Don't say that, Mrs. Otterton” he interrupted her “I had a good time, we met, you advised me a little, I learned a little about your family... more than I wanted to know... and you told me more about Carrots. It wasn’t wasted time at all. Well, I’m retiring, it was my pleasure.”

   “Wait! Don’t you want the bunny number? Then you can make a…”

   “No thanks, I think I should amend this in person, it’s been a few days, I don’t think anything bad happens if I wait one more day, right?”

   “I think you’re right, Mr. Wilde. Well, in that case.” the otter hugged the canine tightly “Thank you very much, foxy.”

   “Thanks to you, ma’am.” he returned the affectionate gesture, then released it. “I hope your husband gets well soon and your children will be able to see him again.”

   “Yeah, me too. Goodbye Mr. Wilde, and good luck with the bunny!”

   “Yeah. Bye. Mrs.Otterton. Goodbye Mr. Otterton.”

   “WAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!” yelled the savage-otter.

   “I hope we get to know each other better the next time. And with more clothes on.”

   Nick put on a medical labs coat again and left the room just as he entered, like an old grumpy doctor.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again. It has been over 3000 years, isn’t it? I’m sorry really, I know I haven’t update in ages, I have been very busy and sometimes the translation job took me a lot of time or I’m just a little lazy piece of crap. I’m really sorry. Well, if people keep around, I hope you haven’t forgotten this story yet, I’ll try to regain the beat and keep to date this and my other Rock Dog fic.
> 
> Anyway, I’ll hope you have enjoyed this chapter, I hope you at least appreciate my love for one of my favorite supporting characters: the gorgeous Mrs. Otterton, I wish you loved her as much as I love her and her cute and sexy past, hehe.
> 
> See ya in the next update, I hope it didn’t take too long, but. I have a little surprise for the next chapter. Smell Ya Later!
> 
> Credits: Cover pic made by vivzmind.


	9. Ex-Assistant Mayor Bellwether

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chief Bogo is summoned by the new mayor and the buffalo takes this chance to communicate his concerns about station's new policies which affect predators from the ZPD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Today's chapter is the first bonus chapter of Dumb Fox, it's a bit short and isn't focused on Nick, but I hope you like it anyway.

* * *

## Bonus 1: Ex-Assistant Mayor Bellwether

* * *

 

At Zootopia’s  City Hall, a cheerful little sheep was checking important documents inside the spacious and luxurious office of former mayor Leodore Lionheart, now owned by new mayor Dawn Bellwether. She finished signing papers with a small pen when she heard a few knocks on her office door.

   “Come in.” said the little mammal, almost singing.

   “Did you wanna see me, Assistant Mayor Bellwether?” the thick voice of a buffalo answered her.

   The good humor of the sheep disappeared and squeezed his pen so hard that it flew out of his desk.

   “Pardon?” Dawn gritted her teeth.

   “E-e-excuse me, Mayor Bellwether; sorry, habit. I'm ain't good for manners.”

   “Hehe.” the lamb laughed with phoniness “Nah, don't worry, Commissioner Bogo.” she called him cheerfully.

   “Ahem,” he hissed and cleared his throat ”Chief Bogo, but whatever. What did you want, Miss Bellwether?”

   “Could you give me today's report about savage animals? Did we have any incident today?” the sheep asked in a disturbingly happy tone.

   “Unfortunately, yes. A polar bear turned wild near Big Mansion at Tundra Town, we managed to subdue him but he hurt seriously a civilian and injured two of our officers.”

   “What? Oh, mutton chops!” Bellwether claimed worried “And Judy? Is she okay?”

   “Officer Hopps is fine and unharmed, but officers Delgato and Lobato were…”

   “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just wanted to know about our heroine bunny,” she interrupted abruptly “moving on to another topic, how’re the department’s new policies going?”

   Chief Bogo sighed sulkily as the little lamb looked at him with a big smile.

   “I’ve already moved all the predator officers out the front desk, and the new sheep staff recommended by yourself will start to work tomorrow. But if I may say something, personally I think…”

   “Splendid!” She interrupted the big buffalo again “The Zootopia Police Department will have a new and more friendly image for most of their citizens, and it will feel more safety when…”

   “Mayor Bellwether!” exclaimed the huge mammal “Please, reconsider this whole predator policy. I agree we give a good image of the police in these difficult times, but we need well trained police officers, and all the new recruits didn’'t approve regular police training. In the event of a threat, they won’t be prepared to respond in time to…”

  “What do you mean? Just because they are prey or sheep, did you think they can’t make a better job than predators? Are you questioning my authority?”

  “Of course not mayor, regardless of whether they're prey or predators, experience and training are what makes the difference at the end of the day, if Mayor Lionheart was here, he’d understand that…”

  “Ex-mayor!” Bellwether claimed, almost shouting “See this plaque? It belongs to the actual mayor of this city. If you don't wanna share the same fate as your predator friends, I suggest you never again mentioning again the former mayor in my presence or questioning my authority without evidence. Have I made myself clear, Bogo?”

  “Yes, clear as crystal, ex... Mayor Bellwether!” said the chief, clenching his teeth and trying not to explode against the lamb. “Did you need anything else?”

   “Yes,” she smiled as she adjusted his glasses “I need you to bring here Officer Hopps immediately, I wanna show Judy the ZPD image.”

   “Right away.”

   Chief Bogo stood up from the chair with a grim face and headed to the office.

   “Ah! And one more thing, Bogo. Could you smile a bit more, especially in front of Judy? We didn’t wanna scare her, right?”

   The cape buffalo showed a fake smirk, turned around and then returned to his serious face, Chief Bogo exited grumbling from the mayor’s office.

   “Very well Judy, I'm sure you love this surprise for you.”

   The sheep pulled from the drawer of his desk a poster of the ZPD with the image of Judy Hopps. It was an edition of her academy's graduation photo with the rabbit in the middle of the pic and the city at the background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits: Cover pic made by artbirchly.


	10. The Last Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his failed reunion with Judy at the hospital, Nick finds out the bunny has given up police, with no other means to contact her, the fox tries everything and ventures into the lion's den: The ZPD.

* * *

## Chapter 8: The Last Chance

* * *

The day after visiting Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, Nick was sleeping wearing only a blue boxer on his old bed in that abandoned factory called home. It was around 6:50 am and the fox continued resting without interruptions, until his smartphone rang. It didn't take too long to wake him up, he tried to turn it off thinking it was his alarm, but realized it was an incoming call; saw the sender and knew it was Finnick, then yawned as he answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"Nick! Turn on the TV and set the news!"

"Hey, hey, what time is it?" he yanked again, "The sun isn't yet up."

"It's almost seven o'clock, you idler. Do what I say lazy-ass!"

"Ok, ok; give me a second."

Nick picked up the remote control and turned on an old TV at his room, tuned in to ZNN channel news and watched a few morning commercials.

"Did you just get me up early for this? To watch morning infomercials?"

"No you imbecile! They'll announce something big after the ads, stay tuned."

"Finnick, you know I don't watch the news on TV, I read them from the Net. Can I take a look later and... ?"

"Shut up, It begins!"

_ '...This is ZNN. We coming back from the commercial break. Like we anticipated early, Officer Judy Hopps has left the ZPD yesterday noon...' _

"What?" shouted Nick surprised.

_ 'As you may remember, Officer Hopps was the first bunny cop at ZPD, she also was the one cracking the missing animal case and reveal to the press the possible relation between predators and the savage mammals. Miss Hopps' motives to quit the force are unknown to date.' _

"Nick... Tell me you already made amends with the bunny... Nick? Nick!?"

"No!" the fox bellowed from his phone "Be quiet Finnick, please..."

_ 'We requested a personal interview with Miss Hopps but she never replied back. The ZPD confirmed the now ex-officer already handed over her badge and no comments about it. Stay tuned for more...' _

Nick turned off the TV and threw away the remote control with rage.

"Errr... boy, calm down before..."

"Finnick, I'm fine... I'm fine... I'm fine..."

"Nick..."

"I'M PERFECTLY FINE!" He cried out exasperated.

"Just breathe in son, breathe in."

Against his will. the canid did what his partner ask and breathed as slow as he can, trying to cool down.

"Well, keep doing it and listen to me. This is not the world's end..."

"But...!"

"Shut up and keep breathing, dammit!" Finnick yelled, "Now," he said calmer "as I've said, this is not the world's end. Don't think about what happened and focus at the present time, alright?"

"Yeah..."

"Listen carefully. After we stop chatting, dress up, eat something light and go out and look for her..."

"But I dunno where she lives. I tried to but couldn't find info about her, I just found out the places she frequented, but we never meet."

"Well, well. Then the only place left is the Police sta-"

"Impossible, I already have been there and they didn't even give me info. Also the station's chief hate me and..."

"Then you have to make possible the impossible and become the chief's best friend or something to get the bunny's address, 'cause if not, you'll never see her again..."

"Wait a second, What did you just say?"

"Make possible the imp-?"

"Not that, after."

"You'll never see her aga-?"

"Before that!"

"Become his friend?"

"A friend, uh? I gotcha!"

"What, what the hell did I say?"

"Clawhauser! Maybe he can give me a paw..."

"Didn't you say no one wanted to give you info before? Why are they doing it this time?"

"Yes but I remember I have a cupid on my side!"

"Cupid? I don't get it, but it sounds like you have a plan" sighed, "Well, I suppose you don't need me anymore, uh? Whatever, good luck and listen to me carefully. Please, don't lost control, promise me you'll calm down and won't do anything stupid, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks Finn! Thank you for calling me, the breathing tips, the idea; thank you so much, you're a good friend" the fox said while started dressed up.

"Ok, you're wel- Friend? Stupid boy! We're not friends! We're just partners and nothing else, Remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, what you say, best friend. Thank you, I love you too. See ya!"

The vulpine hung down the phone, put on clean shirt and pants, ate toasted bread, after that, he left the building and ran to take the first train to ventures into the lion's gate: the ZPD.

* * *

 In less than an hour, Nick was leaving the subway and running toward the police station. He was wearing a purple shirt, a red necktie and dark gray pants.

The fox hurried up to the precinct's entrance. He got in and saw the usual officers, however, he realized all of them were prey, or rather, ovine mammals because of the number of sheep and rams there were, who looked at him surprised; Luckily, none of them was Commissioner Bogo. Fearing Chief Buffalo Butt would appear at any moment, he almost ran to Clawhauser's desk and entered it without thinking twice. Inside, the chubby feline's work area was a very spacious place with several shelves full of food of all kinds, it even had its own fridge! However, the fox paid no attention to anything else and spoke with the only animal inside.

"Clawhauser!" Nick exclaimed hastily, "Listen up, buddy, I need to ask you a huge favor, I need to talk to Judy and... Who are you?"

Inside the desk there wasn't a cheetah, instead, there was a little-horned ram slightly smaller than Nick, wearing a police suit, holding an officer's cap between his paws, he looked more like a rookie. The little ram saw the fox with surprise and fear.

"B-b-b-be-better tell me, who are you?" he said with difficulty.

"I asked first!"

"B-b-b-but I'm...!"

"Listen Chops, I don't have time for this, so tell me, where's Officer Clawhauser?"

"Listen, fox, I don't know who you are, but obviously you're not a cop so I don't have to..."

"Officer Clawhauser! Where is he?!" Nick demanded annoyed.

"H-h-he doesn't work here anymore" said the ram in fear.

"What!? I don't get it, today is his free day or what?"

"Nooooooo. I tell you, he doesn't longer work here, he was moved to Records."

"But why? He looked like a good cop."

"Yeah, right! He and the rest of the predators at the ZPD were reassigned by the station's new policies for preventing visitors won't be frightened to enter and the first thing they'll see here be a dangerous predator like you."

"At least they should have chosen a higher mammal or at least someone who reach the desk."

"Look who's saying it, you aren't that tall, either."

"Please, I don't wanna waste any more time arguing, listen, Officer...?"

"Cotton, Cotton Goodwool" replied the little ram, making a characteristic noise of a sheep.

"Nick Wilde, nice to meet you. Listen, Cotton, Officer Clawhauser was about to give me Officer Hopps' data, he told me to stop by them today, and since he isn't here but you are in charge. Could you be so kind as...?"

"No."

"No? But why not!?" Nick asked worriedly.

"I may be a newbie, but I'm not a stupid. It's forbidden to give police's information to..."

"Yeah, yeah, to civilians, Already I've been told that but I really need to talk to Officer Hopps, I'm his friend and she's about to make a big mistake and if I don't talk to her soon, she..."

"You? A fox? Befriending a bunny!? Hahaha! It's ridiculous!" he laughed loudly at the vulpine, "Haha, wow, I thought foxes were at least sly and knew how to lie, but you..."

"LISTEN HERE, COTTON! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR FREAKING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FOXES OR PREDATORS!" Nick yelled angrily as he grabbed the ram by the collar of his shirt and lifted him a few inches into the air, "The time runs out and I need to contact the Officer Hopps before it's too late!"

"Enough," said Officer Goodwool weakly, "please... don't eat me."

"What? Ah! I apologize but, I've had a very hard week, normally I don't go nuts but this discrimination thing gets on my nerves up." he commented as he adjusted officer's wrinkled shirt, "I'm not going to eat you or hurt you, but I seriously need to contact Carr- I mean, Officer Hopps, so please, just give me her number or her address, and I'll leave you alone, what do you say, Cotton?"

Officer Goodwool was breathing hard as Nick waited with a little impatience for his answer.

"I'm really sorry, Cotton, can I call you Cotton, right? But this is very important and I..."

"S-s-shove off...!"

"Cotton, if you'll let me tell you something, I..."

"G-get the h-h-heck out here, filthy f-f-fox!"

Nick was skeptical as he saw the ram threatened him with fox repellent like Judy's one.

"Get out, d-d-don't make m-m-m-me use this!"

The fox had a mixture of emotions to see that object, on the one hand, he missed Judy and would do anything to be with her again, but on the other one, he wanted to punch that nasty ram in the nose, but he had to do what he had promised Finnick, I couldn't lose control. He had to swallow his pride, breathe, calm down, not get carried away by his emotions and not to be wild. But suddenly, an idea came to his head.

'Wild,' he thought to himself, 'I have to... lose control...' he closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I-I-I won't repeat it again f-f-fox, get out of here or else..."

"GGRRRRRR..."

There were a sudden snarl and a fox's furious breathing.

"Grrrrr... Or else what? Gggrrrrrr... what will you gonna do... delicious little lamb?" growled Nick, savoring his lips with his tongue.

"What did you just s-s-s-say, f-f-fox?"

"Grrrrrr... tell me, do you bleed? Grrrrrr... grrrrrr..." kept snarling "you will..." he replied gloomily.

"I'm n-n-not falling for that again, you filthy f-f-f-fox. I know you're f-f-faking it, y-you're not a w-w-wild animal." said Officer Goodwool, trembling with fear, "You can't f-f-f-fool me, f-fox..."

Nick began to behave in a similar way to the savage mammals Judy and he had rescued. His gaze was lost, his brow furrowed, his nose wrinkled, and he was showing his sharp and threatening fangs. Finally, he lowered himself on his forelegs and adopted a four-legs attack position, like his ancestors.

"GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"I-I-I won't r-r-repeat it again... stay back! STAY BACK!"

"GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"ARGHHHHHHH!"

The fox threw itself against the ram, while the latter one dodged it very frightened. While Officer Goodwool tried not to be eaten, he watched as a savage predator nibbled madly an office chair and at the same time smashed his seat with his sharp fangs, then the fox turned to the shocked mammal.

"Take that!" shouted the ram, "Ah?"

The officer tried to spray the predator with the 'Fox-away' can, but realized that it had fallen and was just under the fox's back paws.

"Help... help... Help me!"

The little ram tried calling for backup via radio, but in an instant, the fox jumped over him, leaving the prey on the ground and the predator above him.

"Help... help me..." whispered defenseless the ovine animal.

"GGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Nick roared him.

"AAAH!"

Officer Goodwool couldn't resist anymore and fainted from fear. While Nick stood upon two legs and straightened his tie.

"Yes, now that's what I call losing control." Said the fox to himself, "Now, I need to find Carrots."

The fox approached Clawhauser's computer, it had around it several types of junk food on top of it, some Gazelle's figures and images. He turned it on and began looking for Officer Hopps, however, after searching for more than 10 minutes, he didn't find anything.

"Dammit! Seriously, I need help from a ZPD's Officer. If Clawhauser were here... Clawhauser! I have to find him! Let's see, according to this map, Records is in..."

"10-91... I repeat... 10-91... quickly... 10-91 at the lobby... it's a... it's a..." whispered the ram before fainting again.

"What!?"

Officer Goodwool regained consciousness still on the ground, and from his radio, he warned the whole department about a savage mammal. Suddenly, several alarms turned on throughout the station, there were a lot of shouting and animal mobilization, some of them went toward Nick.

"Got damn! This can't get worse..."

"Suspect, you're surrounded! Identify yourself!" said a hippopotamus from a megaphone, "If you're a savage mammal, we'll come in to subdue you and we have enough tranquilizers to put to sleep a elephant stampede!"

"Officer..." the canid said aloud from the desk, "It's all a misunderstanding, I'm not a wild mammal!"

"Whew! What a relief!, but we still need to check you out, please come slowly and not resist!"

Nick knew they'd subdue him anyway, and when they found out he wasn't a wild animal, Chief Bogo'd take him out or even imprison him and couldn't join Judy.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, officer" Nick confessed.

"Then you don't leaves us any choice. I won't repeat it again, give up or we'll take you down. This is your last chance!"

"Yes, I know, this is my last chance!"

It was impossible to know how many or what was outside without looking out, but Nick imagined the worst scenario, to be surrounded by many well-trained mammals and very large police officers in a building he didn't know and full of them, with a buffalo who hates him, and only one chance to sort things out with the bunny. In a big disadvantage of both number and size, the fox stood to lose, it'd take him more than a miracle to come out well from this terrible situation.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! At last, I finish it! Sadly, this probably will be the last update for a while, this was the last “short” chapter to translate for me. The next ‘Dumb Fox’ chapters are a bit more large and will take me a bit of more time and effort to translate it. Please, be patient. Do you think this fic reserves a review so far? I’ll be more than happy to read your comments and opinions about it.
> 
> Well, see ya in the next ‘Dumb Fox’ chapter: “Nick vs. the ZPD” Greetings.
> 
> Credits: Cover pic made by キングギドラ (Kingugidora).


	11. Nick vs. the ZPD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In his quest for Judy at the ZPD, Nick get into a huge trouble, now the whole department thinks he’s a savage mammal. Knowing they’ll never trust a fox, Nick’ll fight with claws and fangs against every station’s police officers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and thanks for your patience. I want to give you some warnings about today’s chapter:
> 
> Because the development became a bit more... let’s say... ‘exciting’ than normal, I set the rating to 'Teen to up Audiences'. Don’t scare, I didn’t go crazy, but I think the following scenes could be a little strong for the most sensitive readers. I don’t want to frighten you, but I want to warn the narration may become a bit bizarre. If you don’t understand something, I suggest you keep reading until the end of the story to clarify your doubts. If you have any other question, feel free to ask me, Now keep reading a new Dumb Fox chapter, I hope you like it!

* * *

## Chapter 9: Nick vs. the ZPD

* * *

The fox was between a rock and a hard place, although he couldn’t see by the height of the hall, he knew he was surrounded, inside the desk there was a small monitor connected to the reception’s cameras allowed him to see what was happening outside. The black and white screen showed 6 mammals: a hippo and five tall rams, one of which was very, very large. They all circled the desk and aimed with tranquilizer guns. There weren’t as many as the hippopotamus warned him, but he knew soon more will arrive.

  “Got damn!” Nick cursed, “If I run out, I’ll be shot. I need to distract them, but how?”

  Nick searched through the stuff around him: paper sheets, pens, scissors, a stapler, tape, among others, typical office items. He couldn’t find anything useful, although he noticed there were a lot of Clawhauser stuff, especially boxes full of food, drinks and Gazelle’s merchandise.

  “What is this? Is this a... minibar?”

  The vulpine found a small fridge at Clawhauser’s former work station.

  “Meh, I think Clawhauser hide the big guns here, doesn’t he?” The fox joked out, hopeless.

  He opened it not expecting anything useful, and indeed, he only found more drinks, and some frozen candies, though, he came upon with something frightening.

  “Animal Head!?” He read the tag on a circular bag, then cleared it with a paw and reread again, “Oh, ‘ _Schanimal Farm Head of Lettuce_ ’. Feh, I don’t know what expect... Shoot! This doesn’t help...! Argh!”

  Nick accidentally kicked a heavy box next to the appliance.

  “Good heavens, rocket launcher please, rocket launcher please…”

  Nick opened it and found several ketchup bottles inside.

  “Great! This is it,” he sighed, “I give up.”

  Nick sat resignedly waiting for the police to grab him at any moment, to fill his body with tranquilizing darts, to have Bogo or anyone else subdue him, preventing him to look for Judy that day.

  “Damn it!” The fox lamented, “I’m an idiot! Why...?”

   _‘Where is the back up I requested five minutes ago? We have a possible 10-91!’_ said the voice of the hippo, but from Goodwool’s radio, the ram who still was unconscious, _‘Someone respond! Over.’_

  Nick approached the fainted ram, picked up his radio, and listened to the conversation.

   _‘This is McHorn.’_ answered another voice, _‘I have a problem with the new recruits, it seems instead of big and strong rams, they gave me a couple of cowardly sheep! I cannot join you at this moment, Higgins; and Rhinowitz recently told me the sheep team assigned to him ran away when they heard the alarm. I’m sorry, but I think you’re on your own. Over.’_

  Nick turned up to see the screen where the mammals were around him, and he noticed all the rams were scared to death, they were aiming their guns towards the reception but they didn’t stop shaking their legs and their faces full of anxiety showing how terrified they were. The only one who looked a little braver was the huge hippopotamus, but he seemed unsure of coming in for Nick without more support officers. At that moment, the canid remembered what Finnick had told him about collective hysteria and the natural fear the prey have for predators.

  “Hysteria ... fear... I’ve got it!”

  The fox looked around, and he gathered together the useful stuff he found, then took a pair of scissors, approached to Goodwool’s unconscious body, and raised his tiny head.

  “Sorry, Cotton, I didn’t want to do this, but it's you or me; you seemed like a good boy.”

  The fox grabbed the wool with his paws and without hesitation, brought the scissors close to the little ram.

* * *

Outside the reception desk, police officers were still hesitant to act.

  “Mr. Higgins, no one will come,” said one of the rams, “we better get outta here before…”

  “No way, rookie!” the hippo yelled at him, “We are the police, it’s our duty to protect the city from any threat!”

  “But not dealing with such dangerous beasts, I heard yesterday they injured one of ours,” said another ovine, “What if he attacks us? He already hurt poor Goodwool...!”

  “He’s probably already dead,” another ram said.

  “Enough!” Higgins yelled again, “We all know the risks of this job, it’s too late to regret, so shut your mouths and get ready to cover me, I’m coming in…”

  The huge mammal was interrupted by noises coming from the central desk, it was the sound of blows, scratches and objects being thrown against the ground, and the most shocking one: gruntings.

  “By my grandmother’s wool! He’s a savage mammal! We have to wait for backup and…”

  “No freaking way!” he kept bellowing, “We can do it!” We are 6 well-trained officers against a silly wild animal, and we have guns!”

“GGGGGRRRRRAAAAAAA, GRRRRR, GRAAAARRRRRR!”

  “Oh, but it sounds dangerous!” said the biggest ram of all, “I’d better go outta…”

  “Don't be frightened! Let’s get this over with. Everybody watch out and shoot everything that moves, understand?”

  “Yes sir! Ahhhh...!”

  Suddenly, a spherical object flew from the desk, crashing against the floor with a strange red liquid. The ball-like thing dropped at the feet of one of the smaller rams.

  “This looks like Goodwool’s cap... For heaven’s sake!” IT’S A HEAD! IT’S GOODWOOL’S HEAD!”

  “WHAT?”

  “AAAAHHHHHHHHH! It’s over, I’m out of here!”

  “Wait, calm down!”

  The ram saw something looked like Officer Goodwool's head in front of him, covered with wool and a lot of blood, and he still wore his cap and dark glasses covering his eyes. One of the rams ran off from the station, while the others were shocked by the scene, including the same officer Higgins, scared to death, turned on his radio.

  “I-I-It’s Hi-Higgins. I confirm the presence of a very hostile savage mammal, we have a 10-0! I repeat 10-0, officer down! I need the whole damn department here at the reception, RIGHT NOW! OVER!”

 ‘ _McHorn here. What’s going on there, Higgins? Over.’_

  “I can’t speak! I have to take care of this before I get out of control, bring your ass and as many mammals as you can here right now! Also, call the Homicide Unit and an ambulance. Over and out.”

_‘WHAT? Higgings, what are you gonna do? Higgins? Higgins!’_

  The remaining rams were still in shock, but the hippo brought them back to reality.

  “It’s not time to panic! We must stop him before he does more harm. Cover me and I …”

  “There he is!”

  “What?”

  From the desk came a ferocious red fox walking on all fours, his nose was full of blood and showed a deadly glare, his shirt was torn and with red spots, but the most frightful part was the body of a small ram in his maw.

  “Shoot him!”

  “Fire!”

  No one did anything. They were shocked and paralyzed by fear. But the fox looked at them gloomy, dropped the corpse, and walked swiftly toward the others.

  “Oh no, here he comes!” said one of the rams.

  “Stay back, stay back!” shouted Higgins, scared to death, ”STAY BACK!”

  “AAAAHHHHHHHH!”

  The vicious fox pounced against the biggest ram of all, the others were terrified watching the scene.

  “Help me! He’s gonna eat me, he’s gonna eat me! TAKE IT OFF ME!”

  “Shoot him!” cried out the hippopotamus.

  “But sir, he doesn’t stop moving! We could hurt...!”

  “It’s just tranquilizer, nothing will happen if you fail!”

  “But it takes 3 minutes to take effect, if we unsettle the fox, it would make him angrier and could kill...!”

   “The Fox! Where’s he?!”

  The savage predator was gone, but the huge ram kept moving.

  “Help me, it’s inside my clothes! Ouch, he bit me! HE’S EATING ME ALIVE!”

  “No! Take this!”

  Higgins gathered all his courage and fired 3 darts at the ram, but he kept moving and writhing in pain, while a bulge inside his clothing was running down his body and shedding blood. The other rams did nothing and the hippo shot him countless times, but the struggle continued for more than 2 minutes.

  “Help me...! I don’t... I don't feel anything,” he smiled, “I don't feel pain or suffering... actually I felt... well…” the big ram whispered about to lose consciousness, “Thank... you…”

  The ram fell back to the ground on his own blood and stopped moving; for a few moments, there was a disturbing silence. Within a few seconds, strange sounds and rumble were been heard from the ram’s body, the prey were astonished, and only Higgins was able to aim with his weapon, waiting for the fox to show itself. In less than a minute, an odd bulge formed inside his clothes and something seemed trying to come out of his shirt from the ram’s chest.

  “There is the bastard! Fire!”

  Higgins tried to shoot but the darts had run out.

  “I’m out of ammo, someone else shoots at him”

  “I-I-I... ca-can’t d-d-do it…” stammered one of the ovines without being able to grasp firmly his own gun.

  “Damn! Then give me your...!”

  The hippopotamus was interrupted by a horrible sound. From the chest of the fallen ram, the fox erupted violently covered in blood. All the mammals were shocked and horrified by the creepy spectacle, but the thing impressed them the most, besides the grim appearance of a fox coming out of another animal’s body, was the cop's red guts in the beast’s maw.

 “Aaaaggghhhhhh!” a ram screamed.

  “Beeelch!” another ovine puked from the awful impression.

  “It’s not possible! This must be a nightmare!” said Higgins altered.

  “GGGGRAAAAAAARRRRR!” roared the wild fox.

  The canid sneaked out of the body of the huge animal and looked at the rest of the animals with a soul-piercing glare, then spat the guts off his snout, drooled a little, pulled out his tongue and licked his lips as if he was savoring his next prey. That was the trigger for the rest of the ovine mammals to flee away; the only one left was Higgins, who resigned and scared to death, dropped his weapon and let himself into the ground defeated.

  “I’m screwed.” said the hippo expecting the worst.

  The fox ran at full speed toward the gray-skinned animal, the cop closed his eyes and waited for an imminent attack, which never came. He opened an eye afraid but saw nothing. He turned around with fear, but there wasn’t a single fox in sight. Officer Higgins sighed in relief and leaned back, grateful to still be alive.

* * *

  The ZPD was empty, most of the staff had left the headquarters because of the wild animal threat, the place seemed deserted except for a fox running at full speed down the aisles.

  “Ha, ha, ha” Nick laughed as he jogged. “I can’t believe it worked!” mentioned happily, “If I remember right, the map said Records should be in the basement.”

  The sly fox kept trotting around the place until he reached the downstairs.

* * *

Again, at ZPD reception, Higgins was still on the ground trying to catch his breath. At that moment, several police officers entered wearing black riot gear with helmets and armed with clubs, shields and non-lethal artillery. An elephant ran up to Higgins, flipped up her helmet’s visor, and took the hippopotamus with both paws.

  “Higgins! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  “I’m sorry Francine, it's all my fault, I tried to stop it but... I underestimated that savage animal... I must... I must... I must have waited for backup!”

  “Calm down Higgins, it’s not your fault, it was a difficult situation you couldn’t know... Holy Peanuts! What happened here!? What kind of huge, grotesque animal did this?” said the elephant, frightened to see the big ram body.

  “It was... it was... it was a fox.”

  “How horrible... wait, a fox? A little fox did that?”

  “I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true! That freaking bastard beheaded the new receptionist and...!”

  “Beheaded? What? What are you talking about?”

   “There, look at it with your own eyes!” the hippo pointed to the little ram’s head.

   “Swinton!” Francine called to a pretty little pig with a little blond hair on her head, “Bring me that!”

  The female pig approached it with fear and disgust, closed her eyes, picked up the head and brought it to the hippopotamus and the elephant.

  “Is this the head?”

  “I know, it’s horrible…”

  “Higgins, open your eyes and look at this…”

  “No, please no...!”

  “Do it!”

  Much to his dismay, Higgins opened his eyes fearing the worst, but instead saw something very odd.

  “This is... a lettuce...? A lettuce head!?”

  Higgins held between his paws Goodwool’s supposed head, which actually was a lettuce stained red with the ram’s cap and what appeared to be wool.

  “I don’t get it, it seemed like a real one...!”

  “I think you were rused, Higgins.”

  "But we all saw the rest of Goodwool's body at ...!

  "The little lamb in the reception desk?" interrupted the pig, "He's alive and with his head where it must to be, just look at him."

  From afar, two goats dressed as paramedics was carrying Goodwool on a stretcher.

  “How is our ‘officer down’, guys?” Francine asked.

  “Stable, he just fainted and lost a lot…”

  “Blood!?” asked scared the hippo.

  “No, wool; it seems he has been shaved with scissors, very awful,” mentioned the caprine paramedic, “he will need some minor healing and... ugh... clean pants, but apart from that, he’ll be fine.” the goat answered.

  “B-b-but, the blood! There is blood everywhere! How do you explain...?”

  The hippopotamus quiet down suddenly when saw the piglet licking the blood from the fake head.

  “What the hell are you doing, Swinton?” he yelled to her.

  “Don’t you smell it? It’s not blood, it’s tomato sauce. Ketchup.”

  “What, WHAT?” Higgins cried out hysterically.

  The hippo stood up and went to check the huge fallen ram; he saw the huge wound from where the fox had erupted out and the guts he had scattered. With some disgust, he picked up the alleged intestines and got a big surprise.

  “What is this? It’s cold... are they freezies?”

  The supposed ovine’s guts were actually small freezies or frozen candies, stapled together like a chain and covered in ketchup, they looked like real bowels.

  “He breathes,” Swington said, checking the ram’s pulse, “he’s alive, just sleeps.”

  “From what I see, the reason he fainted was for the tranquilizers and the scare of being attacked by a ‘savage predator’.”

  “I can’t believe it... we were hustled by…”

  “A fox!” said a deep, gravely voice from behind.

  “Chief Bogo!” the three animals exclaimed in unison.

* * *

  “Clawhauser!” Nick shouted outside the door.

  A chubby and sad cheetah opened the door almost instantly.

  “Yes? Nick? Nick!”

  “No time, get in!”

  Nick entered the place with him but it was a bad idea because inside there wasn’t much room. It was full of file boxes, an old computer, the station mainframe, electrical wiring switches and even a boiler, the place made the former office of the now-mayor Bellwether looked like a spacious palace.

  “Oh Nick, it’s good you come to visit me, you won’t believe what happened! Yesterday they moved me to Records. And it’s horrible, horrible horrrrrrrrrible!” the cheetah complained incessantly.

  “Clawhauser, I don’t have…”

  “The worst part isn’t this little room, nor the bad smell, nor I can’t put more food here, but my Gazelle’s stuff! Heavens, I don’t know the new receptionist, but I hope he doesn't do anything to my small collection of the beautiful and talented angel with horns Gazelle because…”

  “Clawhauser, hear me out!” the canid interrupted and crying out him.

  “Oh, my bad,” said the cheetah, calming down, and looking closely at the fox, “Geez Nick, are you okay? I heard there’s a savage mammal loose in my former workstation,” he sniffed at him, “and why do you smell catsup? Yummie! Can I lick you?”

  “What? Hell, no!” said the fox, disgusted, “I have no time for this, just tell me, did Carrots really quit the police?”

  “Yes, Nick,” the feline reapplied sadly. “yesterday I found out about it and this morning she came to say goodbye and leave me some stuffed donuts, I felt so bad I ate them right away and…”

  “Clawhauser! Sorry, but I don’t have much time left. Did you know where she went?”

  “Yes, she said is going to return to her apartment for her suitcase and then to wait for her parents to taking her away from Zootopia…”

  “What!? Is Carrots leaving today?”

  “Yeah, Judy sets off before noon. Nick, I…”

  “Berries! Clawhauser! Please, I need Carrot’s address, phone or whatever, quickly!”

  “Nick, I’m sorry but I can’t…”

  “Please, Clawhauser, forget the stupid protocols!” the fox pleaded on the verge of tears, “I couldn’t contact Carrots before, and now the whole department is after me and I have no more time. Please, you’re my only hope!”

  “Nick,” the cheetah began to cry, “I’m so sorry! But seriously I can’t. The savage animal alert has just been activated and this or any other threat to the station blocks the servers for safety.” the feline spoke between sobs, “Even if give it a try, the ZPD network will be blocked until the chief declares there are no more threats in the department and reactivates the net himself. Nick, I’m so sorry!”

  “That chief buffalo-butt! Damn it... one moment, if I leave the station, then Sergeant Bogo will deactivate the blockade…”

  “Or if they catch you first…”

  “I wanna see them try it! But you’re right, I must get outta here as soon as possible. Clawhauser, quickly, your phone!”

  “Here.” he handed it over, “For what?”

  “This is my number,” he said, typing on the feline’s phone, “when the ZPD network comes back, find out Carrot’s address or number and call me, got it?”

  “Okay, but …”

   _‘Attention all units! Chief Bogo here.’_ it was heard by Goodwool’s radio from Nick.

  The fox pulled the intercom from his shirt’s pocket, he and Clawhauser listened attentively what the buffalo was going to say.

   _‘I confirm a wild mammal is roaming freely at the ZPD…’_

  “What?” said the incredulous canid.

   _‘The suspect is an adult red fox, he’s considered extremely dangerous, he has already seriously injured more than 25 officers; if you see him, subdue it immediately with non-lethal weapons and inform me.’_

  “25 ?!” exclaimed the vulpine.

  “Nick... did you really...?”

  “He’s lying!” shouted out furiously  “Everything was just a hustle, I just scared a few animals, but I didn’t hurt anyone. What are planning, Sitting Bull?”

  “It’s strange, Chief Bogo would never lie on the radio with something sensitive like this, unless he…”

  “Feh, he’s a braggart, he’s challenging me, he... he wants to catch me!”

   _‘To all the remaining officers, I need you to block all the exits.’_ the buffalo spoke from his communicator, _‘Others patrol the area with a partner, never alone. If you see him, don’t act on your own and call me immediately. This is it. Over and out.’_

  Chief Bogo finished the transmission, Nick put the radio in his shirt’s pocket and began to look for all the useful objects at the Records room; officer Benjamin Clawhauser saw the fox with great sorrow, though he feared to ask, swallowed hard, and dared to speak.

  “Nick ... what are you going to do now?”

  “Feh! Isn’t obvious? Looking for another miracle in this pigsty!”

  The fox was desperately searching for something he could use as a distraction; he nearly gave up when an object on the wall caught his eye, then turned with a smile to Clawhauser.

  “Hallelujah!” claimed the fox with joy.

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for have taken so much with this update, but I was busy with personal issues and finishing my other Rock Dog fanfic, 'Declaration', actually this chapter is sorta incomplete because I wanted to post at the same time the second bonus chapter 'Impossible Love' this one is a bit lighter, so I probably submit it soon. See ya and thank you for your patience.
> 
> Credits: Chapter pic by 否アラズ (Ina arazu), the second pic was made by gorgonzol-st.


	12. Bonus 2: Impossible Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei is a humble and beautiful she-goat who works for a wealthy family of wolves where she meets her current boss, Gabu, a gallant and handsome wolf who has fallen in love with her. Although it's not well seen a relationship between a wolf and a goat, or a nobleman and a maid, both will fight against adversity and society to protect their love. Enjoy Zootopia's most successful soap opera: Impossible Love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and sorry for taking so long to update! Originally, I'd wanted to publish the Bonus 2 and the Chapter 10 the same day, but I have been very busy. I hope you love this bonus chapter (please, tell me you understood that reference).

* * *

## Bonus 2: Impossible Love

* * *

 

 

_**On one stormy night, inside a big luxury mansion, there was a little but gorgeous she-goat with a pinkish white fur, she was wearing a black and white french maid uniform and cleaning the house. The girl was dusting the furniture of the wealthy family where she worked while she dried some tears with her hooves. Suddenly, a huge and handsome reddish-brown fur wolf came running to the room, he was wearing an elegant black tuxedo showing his high social position.** _

_**“Mei!” the wolf called her.** _

_**“Leave me alone, master.” she said without turning to see him.** _

_**“I’ve told you a thousand times over don’t to call me ‘master’, just call me Gabu.” he grabbed her hoof with his paw.** _

_**“Let me go!” she loosed from his paw sharply, still with her back toward him.** _

_**“Mei…”** _

_**“I’m just a maidservant, I mustn’t address you by your name or pretend to be something else.”** _

_**“What? Did you hear what my mother said?” he laughed, “Haha, don’t listen to her, she doesn't...!”** _

_**“She’s right! I’m just a stupid maid and a... a prey, I don’t have to get along with your family, especially with a noble and rich predator like you.”** _

_**“Mei! Don’t say such nonsense, my mother is wrong, she doesn’t know you like I do, she only is concerned about her ludicrous social status and what her snooty friends will say. I can’t care about anything but you…”** _

_**“Enough Gabu!” the doe turned back to see him with his beautiful brown eyes, weeping, “Don’t you get it? We can’t be together! I mustn’t…” she sobbed, “ Forget about me, go away, I don’t... I don’t really love you!”** _

_**“Mei…” the wounded wolf said, but he wasn’t going to give up so easily; Gabu put a paw on the girl’s head, stroked her cheek, wiped the tears that fell down her face, took her chin and made her turn to see him, “…but I love you Mei.” he said in a warm, sincere voice.** _

_**“Gabu…” said the doe, lost in his ocean eyes.** _

“Ugh! Puh-leez... Don’t be silly, don’t believe him!” said Bellwether, the female sheep was watching on her mobile one of the best soap opera at the moment in Zootopia: ‘ _Forbidden Love_ ’, “Don’t believe him, he only likes your pretty face! All predators are the same!” she said spitefully, not missing a single second of the melodrama.

_**“No, let me go!” she tried to move away from the lupine.** _

_**“No!” he said grabbing Mei by her shoulders, “Look into my eyes and swear to me that you don’t love me, that you don’t like me, that all the things we have lived together mean nothing to you. Go, come on! Do it and I will never bother you again.”** _

_**“I…” she said timidly without being able to hold his gaze, “I don’t love you.”** _

_**“But say it as if you believed so, look me straight in the eyes Mei! Say it to my face!”** _

_**“Gabu... I’m not... Gabu... I... I... I can’t do it!”** _

_**The maid hugged her master, still sobbing.** _

**_“Easy, Mei, there’s no need to cry,_ mon chéri _. I don’t like to see you like that... well, actually I do, even crying you look beautiful.”_**

_**“Gabu... you silly.” she said trying not to laugh, “You’re right, I could never deny what I feel for you, but... we mustn’t be together. Your mother, she told me that if you chose to be with me, she will disinherit you, and you can start forgetting that she is your mother, the family fortune, the yachts, the cars, your position in your father’s company, everything! I’m not, I can’t let you ruin your life for me, a simple and stupid…”** _

_**The wolf shushed her by placing a finger on her snout.** _

_**“Dumb doe, I’ve already told you none of those things matters to me; neither all the money in the world, neither all the other luxuries in life mean nothing if you’re not with me.”** _

_**“Gabu…”** _

   “Ha, ha,” the ewe laughed sarcastically, “What a generic and predictable show!” Dawn said, “For a moment I thought it would be a fresh and original idea, not the same foolish soap opera full of cheap clichés, surely the wolf just wants to have an affair with the girl and then dump her and get a prettier one, like all predators I know; Besides, this Gabu guy isn’t that handsome.” he said in a mocking tone.

_**“You are the best thing that happened to me ever, and in order to prove it to you…” the wolf kneeled down on one knee and held the girl’s paw with his own, “Nothing would make me happier than to make you my wife.”** _

_**“Gabu…” whispered the she-goat with tears in her eyes.** _

   “What! H-h-how is this?” the mayor exclaimed, “N-n-n-n-no way! That wolf, he is going to do something else. No, it can’t be, the soap opera only has a few weeks on air and he just declares his love just like that? Impossible! He’s a filthy predator, he can’t be... so... so... so romantic!” yelled the ewe, choked with emotion.

_**“I wanted to give you this at the night dinner, but if my family is not gonna support me, I don’t care, I’ll do it here and now.”** _

   “What?!” Bellwether exclaimed from the other side of the screen, “What is he gonna give her?”

_**The wolf took out a small black box, opened it showing a sumptuous silver ring, with a beautiful emerald in the shape of a four-leaf clover.** _

_**“Will you marry me, Mei?”** _

_**“Gabu…” the doe was about to cry out of happiness, “Gabu... oh Gabu…”** _

   “Say yes, you dork!” Dawn shouted at his phone, excited.

_**“Yes, I will!”** _

_**“Mei... you make me the happiest wolf in the world.”** _

_**“Ha, ha, Dumb Gabu, it’s supposed I’m the one saying that, hee, hee!”** _

_**Both animals gazed into each other’s eyes with a huge smile, the wolf tried to stand up, but the doe prevented it and stayed that way as so to keep the visual contact; Gabu placed both paws behind the female’s waist and hugged her tightly, Mei laughed while the boy’s face came closer and closer to her.** _

_**“Gabu…” said the female goat with glazed eyes and slightly blushing.** _

_**Mei closed her eyes and the wolf did the same, slowly sniffed her neck and clung more and more to her, then, approached his snout to her chin and then up there.** _

   “Come on, kiss her now! You filthy predator.” the excited ewe ordered, moistening his lips as if she waiting for a kiss for her.

_**Finally, the lupine was an inch closer from her mouth, his lips were about to rub against her own in order to profess eternal love.** _

   “Miss Bellwether!” A ram shouted as he entered the mayor’s office all at once.

   “What? Wah, woooo, oooohhhhhhh!”

   The abrupt interruption surprised the little lamb so much she tossed into the air her cell phone by accident; in vain, she tried to catch it, but in the end, her mobile fell down the floor heavily, the noise indicated the screen had cracked. The ram wore a black suit, he was clearly one of Bellwether’s bodyguards, who hurriedly approached the ewe who was staring in horror at his phone.

   “Mayor, come with me, we must leave...!”

   “You! Stupid, imbecile, animal, hollow head, beast, fool, my soap opera, YOU IDIOT!” Bellwether yelled furiously, “How you dare to break into my office like that?! And in the most interesting moment of that silly show, you dork! It better be an emergency because if not I gonna...!”

   “Your life is in danger, Mayor!”

   “What? What the heck are you talking about?”

   “It was confirmed there is a wild animal in the next door building, the ZPD!”

   “What the hell are you talking about!? I didn’t authorize Doug... emmm, l mean, it’s ridiculous!”

   “It’s true, and the worst thing is the police haven’t been able to catch it, there are many police officers injured, even some of them have already deserted. It’s a ferocious beast! It’s dangerous to stay here, we must leave the town hall or your life will be in danger miss Bellwether.”

   “Are you nuts? First, you interrupted my soap opera, then you destroyed my phone and now this! Get out of my office before the one turning savage will be me.”

   “Mayor, you must believe me!” he sighed, “I didn’t want to show you this, but there is no time.” he took a tablet out of his suit’s pocket.

   “Whoopee! This will be enough to keep watching the soap!”

   “Mayor, no. This is to show you a recording of station surveillance cameras, the security chief sent it to me before deserting his post. What you are about to witness is very, very disturbing.”

   “Oh yeah?” she said sarcastically, “Seeing is believing…”

   The mobile device’s screen was displaying ZPD’s lobby, where some police officers were trying to stop a vicious fox.

   “What, a fox? How strange, I could swear I’ve seen him before... Wa-wait a second! I-i-is that blood!?”

   “Yes, it is! Do you believe me now? I hope it’s enough for you, now we must…”

   “Wait, wait, wait; he actually doesn’t look very dangerous. Why couldn’t they catch a single little predator like him? I’m going to fast forward it a bit to…”

   “Errr, Miss Bellwether, I don’t think you need to watch…”

   Dawn skipped the recording until it showing the most shocking part, where the fox ‘erupted violently’ from the chest of the ram, covered in blood and carrying the ‘intestines’ of the animal in his jaws.

   “AIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!”

   “...that.”

   The little lamb dropped the tablet, cried out loud and clung to dear life to her bodyguard.

   “Holy sheep! Aaahhhhh! Disgusting! What the... What the hell w-w-was that? What kind of monster was that? Turn it off, turn it off!” she yelled hysterically.

   “I’m sorry but I warned you, I didn’t intend to…”

   “What are you waiting for? Get me outta here now, now, now!” she demanded in a high-pitched voice.

   “Right away, mayor.”

   The ram wanted to escort the little lamb, but she only clung tighter to him and trembled horrified; in order not to lose any more time, he ran out of the mayor’s office carrying her in his hooves.

 _‘Mutton chops! I didn’t think predators would become that violent with the serum... Damn it, Doug!’_  the sheep thought,  _‘Why did you shoot a predator so close the ZPD and the worst, so close to me!? I told you hundreds of times don’t act on your own. If this is one of your jokes or experiments, I’ll be the one taking your guts out... Yuck! Gross! I can’t get rid of that mental image. I won’t be able to keep watching my soap in peace, precisely in kissy part! Just when I was starting to like that silly show, this happens. I didn’t think the Night howlers could cause so much damage, I’ll have to suspend the attacks for a while. It's all your fault, Doug!’_

   The bodyguard ran until he reached the main door of the town hall and left the place with the Zootopia mayor, who was still shivering in fear.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Omnitrix 12 for his reviews, comments and hints for the previous chapter and the first part of this one. You should check his profile, he has amazing stories!
> 
> Credits: Cover pic was a request pic made by an anonymous artist in a 4chan's Draw Thread. Thank you nameless hero! The other pic was made by SheapSheap.
> 
> See ya next chapter!


	13. Commissioner Bogo's Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still looking for Judy, Nick ends fighting against the ZPD again, He already has won the first round. Will he have the same luck this time? Because Nick is about to take the bull by the horns, by Chief Bogo's himself!

* * *

## Chapter 10: Commissioner* Bogo's Payback

* * *

Nick had to get out of the station as soon as possible, but it was practically impossible because Chief Bogo had warned all the police about a savage fox wandering around the ZPD and with the order of capturing him at all costs. Even so, while the vulpine was making his way to one of the exit doors, several police officers were mobilized. With great caution and discretion, he slipped away unseen, as he looked out the door leading to the police parking lot, Nick noticed the car park has been guarded by several officers in riot gear.

  The fox cursed for himself and returned quickly but discreetly where he came from. Suddenly, his left ear was raised when he heard a trigger being pulled a few feet behind him; not thinking twice, he jumped into the left hall evading darts that bounced against the wall.

  “Dang it, I almost hit him! Follow me, rookie!” said a huge rhinoceros holding a tranquilizer gun.

  “But Mr. McHorn” mentioned a ram as big as he, “We must warn everyone! Chief Bogo ordered don’t act for our own…”

  “There is no time! Also, he’s cornered. Draw your gun and if he tries something, shoot him in the chest without hesitation, understood?”

  In fact, Nick had fled into a dead-end corridor, and when he turned around, he saw two police officers pointing at him with their weapons, he raised both paws, showed his fangs and roared like a wild animal.

  “Rooooarrrrrr…”

  “Enough Wilde! We already know you’re just pretending, aren’t we... rookie?”

  The ram dropped his gun and stood behind McHorn, shivering.

  “Rookie!”

  “I’m so sorry, but that snarl and his bloody shirt scared me, sir”

  “It's just catsup! Geez, I can’t believe how they accepted you in the ZPD. Put your paws up, Wilde! Approach slowly in order to cuff and muzzle you, don’t make this harder than it already is, son.”

  Nick clenched his fist, then took a deep breath to calm himself and changed his expression, showing a sadness and concern face.

  “Officer, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Nick confessed as he walked slowly toward the rhino, “I need to get out of here and look for officer…”

  “Put your paws up already or I’ll shoot you! You already have caused a panic and you have ridiculed the whole department just for Hopps.”

  “I don’t have time for this! If you’re going to shoot me, just do...! Ugh!”

  Remorseless, McHorn fired a dart into the fox’s chest, who writhed in pain but kept moving toward the officer.

  “You don’t understand it!” the canid exclaimed, trying not to lose consciousness, “I need to see Carrots before she’ll do something she'll regret!” he said still moving on.

  “Sorry son, you don’t leave me another option, nothing personal, kiddo.”

  The rhino shot another dart into Nick’s body, who fell to his knees and began to breathe with difficulty.

  “Please!” he raised his paws, pleading, “I need to find... her…”

  Finally, Nick collapsed due to the tranquilizer’s effect.

  “Is he already unconscious?” questioned the ram with fear.

  “Yeah, it’s actually a very powerful sedative, I’m surprised it hasn't knocked him out before. Poor fool, Hopps praised this fox, she didn’t stop talking how important he was to crack missing mammals case. I can't believe all the troubles this guy got into just for, meh, a girl.”

  The rhino approached to check Nick’s body, knelt down and called for his partner.

  “Hey rookie, come here and learn how to feel for pulses, we’ll have to call an ambulance if the fox doesn’t breathe.”

  The ram approached more confident and bent down to see the predator asleep.

  “See this, rookie?” turned to him, “In order to check vital signs you have to... Aaahhhh? Argh!”

  “Arrrrghhhhhhh!”

  In the blink of an eye, Nick grabbed the rhino’s tongue and drove a tranquilizer dart into it, then stabbed the ram’s feet with another dart, the very same darts the rhinoceros had shot at him; Officer McHorn groaned in pain and took it off as fast as he could.

  “Curse you, Wilde, you were just pretending! But how!? I shot you!”

  The fox stood up slowly with a smug smile on his face, unbuttoned his shirt revealing he had carried Goodwool’s stabproof vest.

  “It’s called a hustle, sweetheart!” he replied, pinching the rhino’s cheek, “Nothing personal, officer. If you don’t mind, I have an appointment with a dumb bunny. Ciao”

  “You bastard!” the rhinoceros tried to throw a jab but reacted slowly by the tranquilizer's effect.

  The fox turned around and walked away slowly.

  “Since the parking lot exit is blocked.” said the canid aloud, “I see I’ll have to get out of here through the dining room’s emergency door.”

  The fox looked both ways of the corridor and ran quickly but cautiously.

  “Attention... all units…” the ram muttered to his radio on the floor, trying not to fall asleep, “...the... fox... the dining room... everyone ... catch that... bastard... at the dining room... Over... and out…” said losing consciousness completely.

* * *

 

  ZPD’s dining room was a huge salon with dozens of tables and hundreds of chairs of different sizes; above them, there were abandoned remains of food, cutlery, plates, trays and even some liquids spilled on the floor. It had many big ceiling lights and the walls lacked windows, the place looked like an old dining room for prisoners, or even a dungeon because of the lack of natural light, ventilation and a depressing aspect. The fox walked quickly and when he didn’t see anyone, increased his speed as he pushed and scrambled every object in front of him, scattered the tables, spread out the wasted food and some water glasses wet the room’s floor.

  The exit was a few steps ahead, but his senses were sharpened immediately; in a swift movement he took two trays, a saucepan and hid under a table; a pair of darts flew over the fox while he wore the iron pot as some kind of makeshift helmet.

  “There he is!” a horse bellowed.

  “Shhhh...  Shoot!” the fox cursed.

  Before Nick left the hiding place, he took a few objects from the table and ran towards the kitchen; the horse and the ram shot at him but they couldn't hit the fox except a single dart that bouncing off one of the trays Nick used as a shield. He ran faster to the kitchen area, but a small she-boar grabbing him by the tail with one of her hooves.

  “Gotcha filthy fox!”

  “No girl touches my tail until the third date!” shouted the fox, sticking her hoof with a plastic fork.

  “Auch!”

  She immediately released the fox and Nick was able to escape from her grasp; he turned to see the other officers loading their weapons, looked at the emergency exit, where more and more policemammals entered to the place, then he saw the dining room’s entrance and the situation seemed less encouraging.

  “It’s over, mate!” exclaimed a blue-uniformed porcupine, spreading his paws with the intention of immobilizing him.

  No thinking twice, Nick jumped on one of the tables, then jumped on a tall shelf and finally took a big leap and cling to the closest pendant lamp cord in the room and swung almost instantly. A wave of darts didn't take long to come out, but thanks to the circular, variable and unpredictable movement caused by the lamp, almost none of the shots touched the fox, except a dart that ricocheted of the iron pot he used as a helmet. Nick started swinging, jumping and hanging between other lamp wires until he was right in the middle of the room.

  “Fire!” a rhino ordered.

  Several darts were thrown up in the air again, but many shots bounced off or failed to hit his target and fell to the ground, some of them even hurt the officers as collateral damage.

  “Ouch!”

  “Argh, my tail!”

  “You little piece of...! You hit my partner!”

  “You shoot like a girl!”

  “Hey!”

  “10-31, we have two, no, three, no, five... Seven?! Seven officers and still counting passed out by friendly fire, these idiots don’t know about… AGH! Who’s hit me in my foot? 10-31 and 10-92, cancel the poker game with buddies... ugh... I’m not feeling well... over…” The uniformed hippopotamus fainted.

  The excessive amount of animals with weapons weren’t enough to catch the elusive fox, and no officer was agile or tall enough to catch the canid from the heights. Nick had the advantage hanging from the ceiling and in the center of the dining room, although it was way early to celebrate it, he already has known it was a matter of time before they would take him down by force.

  “STOP!” A she-elephant shouted from a megaphone. “CEASEFIRE!”

  The missed shots were stopped in less than a minute. While everyone started to chill out, the fox stopped swinging from the central lamp from which he was hanging.

  “Mr. Nicholas Wilde. I am the officer Francine Pennington.” she spoke into a loudspeaker. “I’m sorry for all the troubles you’ve been through, but you must accept this has gone out of your paws; you alone have ridiculed the whole department and its police officers, on top of that you committed several crimes will guarantee you to spend a lot of time in prison. Don’t make this harder than it already is and please, surrender peacefully.”

  “Ah…” sighed the fox from above. “I think you’re right ma’am, maybe I should give up.”

  The vulpine dropped down one of the trays to the floor and suddenly several officers began to shoot; the canid barely avoiding the darts.

  “CEASEFIRE GODDAMN OR I SWEAR I PERSONALLY STICK A DART UP YOUR TAIL!” Francine cried out furiously.

  The shooting stopped almost instantly.

  “Feh, cops, never trust them.” Nick said, heaving a sigh of relief.

  “I apologize for that, Mr. Wilde, it won’t happen again. Would you be so kind as to surrender...?”

  “Hang on ma’am! Before I’m giving up, I wanna show everyone a magic trick.”

  “What?” commented several officers among themselves.

  “Mr. Wilde, I remind you that you aren’t in a position to negotiate anything especially something so absurd…”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence, mama. I know once I touch the floor all of you’re gonna make a fox rug with my fur…”

  “Wow. How do you know it?” Higgins said sarcastically, the hippopotamus had recovered from the shock and was ready to get even with Nick.

  “... so let me do my thing, then do whatever you want with me and continue with your boring lives. Those donuts aren’t gonna eat themselves!” he commented mockingly.

  “Sonova…” Officer Higgins aimed him with his own weapon.

  Officer Francine hit hard the hippo’s nape.

  “Chill out Higgins.” she talked to Nick again, “And what does make you think we’re gonna let you...?”

  “Feh... And what could I do? I’m just a defenseless, dumb fox cornered over a hanging lamp 16 feet in the air, surrounded and clearly disarmed. How bad can I be?”

  “Alright foxy boy, let’s do it your way. But be quick and don’t try anything or else we’ll proceed with hostile negotiations!” she said, pulling out her paralyzing weapon from the holster.

  “Thank you, madame!” Nick cleared his throat and put a paw over the shirt bag, “Ladies and Gentlemammals, children and growl-ups: say the magic words with uncle Nick! Come on!” said the fox almost singing and dancing in a beat he only knew, “ _Higitus figitus zoomacazam, Abra Kadabra and Alakazam, Gazelle, Gazelle, rah, rah, rah!_ ” he lifted one of his paws and swung his wrist with a big smile while the other paw firmly grasped the lamp wire.

  But nothing happened. The whole of the remained officers were surprised, they didn’t know what to say, do or wait after the bizarre fox’s words, several mammals thought he had already gone crazy.

  “Aaaahhhh, come on! Not now, please!” Nick groaned worriedly.

  “Mr. Wilde…”

  “Just one second, Mrs. Jumbo…” he touched his shirt pocket again, “Ahem, I said: _Higitus figitus zoomacazam, Abra Kadabra and Alakazam, Gazelle, Gazelle, rah, rah, rah!_ ”

  Nothing happened again. An animal coughed and the rest began to get impatient.

  “Mr. Wilde!”

  “Argh, dang it!” Nick put pressure on his chest afflicted, “Hello there? I said: Gazelle, Gazelle, goddammit, GAZELLE!” he cried out desperately.

  “He went nuts and I had enough of this.” Higgins mentioned. “No more games, guys. Fire!”

  “GAZELLE!”

  “NO!” Francine shouted.

 “Ah, the hell with this! Plan B!”

  At that moment, Nick let himself fall to the ground while Francine has run trying to catch him; at the same time, a wave of darts flew over both of them, but all at once, the room got completely dark.

     “What... what's going on?”

  “Who turned off the light?”

  “I can't see a thing!”

  “Yeow! Who the hell shot darts again!?”

  As if by magic, all the lights in the dining room had turned off and the whole place was in infinite darkness. Nick fall over the head of a huge boar and immediately jumped and landed safe and sound.

  “For Heaven’s sake Claw...! Emmm, I mean, Donutaddict16! You take a while... I almost didn’t make it, but thanks... thank you mate.” the fox said, speaking into the radio in his shirt pocket.

  “I’m so sorry Ni... I mean, Blueberry13, I was a little... tied up... in a way... Good luck and go get her, tiger!”

  “Thank you for everything!”

  Now the whole ZPD’s dining room was a complete chaos, no animal in the place could see, anyone except for one cunning and sly fox who had night vision and of course, it also worked in a very, very dark room.

  “He’s running away!” Francine shouted. “Don’t let him get outta here! Auch!” said the female elephant when she crashed against a table.

  “But I can’t see even my horn!” a rhinoceros said.

  “Ow!” a horse yelled as he tripped and fell on the ground.

  “Argh! Who stepped on me?”

  “Move out here, idiot!”

  “No, you move out, you dork!”

  “Hey, hey, hey. What's the magic word?”

  Zootopia’s most imposing sign of authority was being outsmarted again by a single mammal and the whole scene was an amazing blindly spectacle. Meanwhile, a mischievous fox wandered away without being seen; the vulpine hit, scratched, bit and pushed every animal in his way in order to confuse them even more, hidden in the shadows.

  Almost before he was about to leave, the canid observed two prey animal set back to back: a sow and a caribou; Nick passed next to the pink girl, took her curly tail and pulled it, making the poor female to squeal in surprise but not before he ran to the opposite direction.

  “Ah!” she moaned, “Pervert!”

  Officer Swinton turned around and slapped the caribou behind her, knocking him down. The fox covered his muzzle with his paw to prevent a laugh could compromise his position.

  As he headed to the exit at full speed, the rest of the police tried not to kill each other like a bunch of wild animals or as victims of darkness due the chaos and the confusion.

  A humongous disaster had been created at the ZPD’s dining room by one cunning fox.

  “Curse you, Wilde! Everything was a damn trap! That wretch set us all up where he wanted, since the very beginning! The windowless room, the tables preventing us to moving freely, the food and water scattered, even he pretended to be cornered. The bastard thought about every little thing! When I get my trunk on that... that…” the she-elephant swore, shouting furiously to a wall, “Sly fox!”

* * *

 

 “Finally! I got outta this damn hell.”

  The vulpine jumped for joy while he has come out of the ZPD from the parking lot door. He didn’t mind speaking out loud, his plan had worked out and all the police officers were very busy playing _‘Blind mammal’s bluff’_ inside. He quickly ran to the station’s car lot, looked for the parking space marked as ‘G7’ and when he found it, the fox climbed the door of an awfully huge giraffe-size patrol; Nick pulled out a key from his pocket and tried to open it, but the keys were too small for the monstrous vehicle.

  “What? Clawhauser told me these keys are from Carrot’s former patrol, parked here at G7... wait…” Nick got off the enormous car and checked underneath it.

  “You’ve  go to be kidding me!”

  Just below the huge pick-up, there was Judy’s meter maid cart, the one she and Nick used in order to crack the missing mammals case.

  “Furballs! Well, It’s better than nothing. Let’s go!”

  Nick get on the three-wheel joke-mobile, started it and sped off underneath the huge patrol, however, before he could leave the parking lot, the cart stopped moving. Confused, the fox stepped on the pedal fully, but instead of going forward, the car rose.

  “What the...?”

  “Hello there... Wilde.” said a very deep voice to the fox’s right.

    “C-c-chief Bogo!” Nick gulped.

  The huge mammal held the small cart and its passenger some feet in the air with a single hoof.

  “Well, well; at least you learned to say my name correctly, Mr. Wilde.”

  “Wowowo... Time-out! Do you mean ‘ _Chief_ ’ is actually your real name? I’m so sorry, _Chief_!”

  ”I don’t think you’re in a position to joke. At least take this more seriously!”

  The blue-furred buffalo tried to grab the fox with his free hoof, however, Nick evaded it and quickly jumped out of the mini-patrol. When he touched the ground, he was running as fast as he could, while chief Bogo threw the cart like a toy towards the vulpine. Nick stopped abruptly when the car fell in front of him and almost crush him. The distraction was enough for chief Bogo to catch up with Nick and captured him by both wrists, lifting and holding him 6 feet over ground.

 “Let me go!” Nick was saying while he only could move his free paws and the rest of his body with despair.

  “You have no idea how many troubles you have caused to the whole department. Give up already!” he shouted at his face, “It’s useless, it’s over! Why did you get into so much trouble? Is it really worth turning upside down the ZPD and put many animals against you? Do you think all the time you gonna spend in prison will be worthy? For what? Just for a bunny!?” he brought his face closer to the fox’s and looked at him with a blazing glance.

  Nick stopped struggling, calmed down and looked at the huge mammal in the eyes.

“I don't know,” confessed the crestfallen fox, “I don't know if all the nonsense I have done were the right thing to do, and I really don’t know if it's right or wrong wanting to see Carrots again, but, I’m 100 percent sure about one thing: if I could go back in time... I... I... I would do it again!”

  The fox spun his legs abruptly giving  Bogo a strong enough double kick in the face so the buffalo will let go, Nick landed again and quickly headed towards the meter maid cart; he tried to stand it up but the car was heavier than imagined.

  “Let me give you a hoof with that!”

  “Arghhh!”

  The leader of the police force of Zootopia knocked the fox with a tremendous slap, throwing him away a few feet back. Nick felt a terrible pain in the jaw and spit out; he tried to stand up and run, but chief Bogo was in front of him, holding some handcuffs and a muzzle between their hooves.

  “I tried to be nice to you in spite of everything, but it seems you left me no option. I’ll have my payback against you, here and now!”

  Bogo took the fox by the arm, but Nick bit him.

  “Agh! Stay still!”

The buffalo kicked the canid in the stomach, Nick flinched and grabbed his ached belly with both paws.

  “Argh... cof... cof…” the vulpine coughed, trying to catch his breath.

  “Give in Wilde! There is a vast difference between your size and my strength. You’ll never defeat me in a close combat, even if you fight dirty!”

  “Ah... Ah... Shut up, Horn-brain!”

  Nick leaped on angrily against the huge mammal, Bogo tried to recapture him but the canid evaded him, sneaked under his legs and then hung on his body. The experienced officer tried to catch the fox with both hooves but Nick was very elusive, the canid slinked around Bogo’s waist and snatched the handcuffs and muzzle, then the fox jumped to the buffalo’s back and from there, to his head, literally taking the bull by the horns, preventing to fall, but also warned Bogo about his position.

  “Enough, Gotcha fox! The buffalo cried out.”

  At that moment, Bogo caught the fox and threw him far away against the cart that was still overturned. Nick’s back and neck impacted strongly against the vehicle’s steel structure, while his body hit the ground with his nose down.

The buffalo breathed with difficulty, he was carried along and considered he had thrown the fox with more energy than necessary, he thought it had left Nick unconscious; but immediately, Bogo saw surprised how the vulpine moved, raised his head defiantly and leaned on his left paw with difficulty, however, the last blow had clouded his vision and his paws was shaking; even so, the fox put a sly smile on his face and tried to show superiority.

  “Stay down, Wilde.” he got closer the fox slowly, picking up the handcuffs and the muzzle Nick had snatched from him a few seconds ago, “Final warning.” Chief Bogo said in a rather severe tone.

  “Haha... Hahaha!” the fox laughed aloud.

  “What’s so funny...!? No, no…” he looked at his holster, “No!”

  Nick held in his right paw Bogo’s stun gun he had taken without the buffalo noticed it; aiming at him. Chief Bogo looked at the fox with anger and helplessness, he knew a single shot from the gun could knock him out or at least hold him back enough for the vulpine to escape, and he had no way to protect himself.

  “Impossible, huh? Haha, Good night, Chief.” he shot without hesitation, “Hehehe... What !?”

  The fox had fired the taser’s single shot but failed to hit Bogo, two small dart-like electrodes were launched toward the buffalo, but never touching him.

  “Damn it... no... Argh! Ahhhh! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrrrrrrr! BBBBRRRUUUUUU!”

  Chief Bogo didn’t hesitate and quickly ran to handcuff and muzzle the fox, which immediately drove Nick crazy when he remembered that traumatic experience of his childhood and the anger he felt for having been captured. The buffalo pressed a leg over the fox's back to immobilize him, but the canid continued struggling, panting and trying futilely to free himself while Chief Bogo waited a few moments until Nick calmed down. After a few minutes, the fox stopped resisting and gave up. He had been defeated.

  “I admit subduing you was harder than expected. I admire your determination and tenacity, but you have to know when you have to give up. Sorry Wilde, I’m sorry I had to put you down so brutally, but you didn’t leave me another option. Come on. Let’s go out for a joyride.”

  The buffalo grabbed the humiliated fox by his shirt and brought him to the enormous patrol car. He placed the fox in the passenger seat and then sat down, closed the door and started the vehicle.

  “Attention all units.” the buffalo spoke into the radio, “Chief Bogo here, the suspect has been captured. Systems, please reactivate all the station’s servers. Threat Neutralized. Over.”

  Chief Bogo drove the car and left the parking lot, moving away from the ZPD.

  “I also have an important notice to announce to all…” Chief Bogo said, glaring at the fox.

  For his part, Nick no longer paid attention, he was physically and emotionally shattered, his body ached, but not as much as knowing that after having gone through so many troubles, his world was coming down, and worse, the sensation of helplessness and the knowledge he will never see Judy once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, once again guys! Sorry for taking so long, but the chapter is more and larger every time (What I was thinking!?) and I have a hard time translating it, but well, there you have. I’ll try to finish translating this year, before July I hope, so 5 more chapter and this is it! Thank you for your support and sorry for the don’t update more often. 
> 
> Thanks to Omnitrix 12 for his reviews, comments and hints for the previous chapter and the first part of this one. You should check his profile, he has amazing stories!
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day guys. See ya next chapter!
> 
> Credits: Chapter's cover pic by 舵丸 (Duò Wán), last pic made by 赤マフラー大和 (Akamahura Yamato).
> 
> * 'Commissioner' is a reference about the way Nick talked with Bogo at the 'Chapter 3: Admiral Bogo'.


	14. Looking for Carrots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sad bunny visits for the last time the streets she once wandered as a police officer while remembering an old friend who she couldn't apologize. On another front, a defeated Nick remains under Chief Bogo's custody, the fox hadn't known yet he is about to be helped by the mammal least expects.

* * *

## Chapter 11: Looking for Carrots

* * *

## 

On a hot afternoon at Savanna Central, a ramshackle old sky blue truck moved slowly through the busy streets of one of the Zootopia’s hottest districts. Inside it there were three rabbits, an adult male one wearing an orange cap, light green shirt and some worn overalls; a similar age female with a pink checked shirt and navy blue jeans, and finally her daughter, a young bunny of about 24 years old wearing a light blue shirt and black yoga pants, who saw with great sadness the streets she once wandered as a police officer, or as a meter maid; she had remembered with melancholy her first meet with a certain sly mammal not long ago.

  “Cheer up, Judy,” the mother of the doe said softly. “I know you don’t feel very well about how it ended, but don't think it’s your fault, sometimes things don’t go as planned.”

  “Yes Jude the Dude, your mother is right,” his father said, still paying attention behind the wheel, “but look on the bright side, you already have lived your dream in the big city and now you have plenty of free time!”

  “Stu!” Bonnie reprimanded her husband.

  “What, what did I say? It’s the truth…”

  “Dad is right,” Judy said, unencouraged, “both were since from the very start, it was foolish to think that a bunny could do more than a carrot farmer.”

“Darling, don’t say so.” her mother grabbed her paw, “You tried your best, maybe you had a bad experience, but you came to Zootopia on your own and, I’m ashamed to admit it, but you did it all by yourself even though nobody, not even us, supported you. You shouldn’t feel less important because of it, we love you no matter what Judy, whether you are or not a bunny cop.”

  “We couldn’t be more proud of you, Jude.”

  “Thanks mom, you too dad. I really appreciate it.”

  Despite her parents’ encouraging words, Judy felt like a fraud; the bunny couldn’t stop thinking about her words had been the beginning of a great wave of discrimination in the whole city and now, she was doing something had rarely done: Giving up. And the worst part she was leaving the city without being able to amend things with a certain sly fox; she didn’t know how to find him and apparently, he never looked for her, probably hates her, she told herself.

   _‘I wonder…’_ Judy thought, _‘What is he doing right now? Does he keep selling Pawpsicles? Is he scamming other mammals? Or perhaps... Would he have changed his life? For his sake, I hope so, although frankly, I don’t know what to think anymore, lately, I’ve ruined everyone’s life here: the mammals of this city, my coworkers at the ZPD, Mayor Bellwether and... Nick…’_

  “Nick…” the purple-eyed girl whispered.

  “Who’s Nick?” his mother asked.

  “What? Did I say it out loud?”

  “Nick?” her father asked suddenly, “Haven’t you met a seductive buck in this bizarre city, haven’t you, miss?”

  “Stu!”

  “What? I’m curious. If this is the case I’d like to know him; I wanna be sure if he’s a worthy successor of Hopps family.”

  “Stu enough! Don’t be indiscreet.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” interrupted the youngest bunny, “He’s... he’s just a friend I met here.”

  Judy looked to the landscape dejected as remembered in these streets she had met a sly but very noble fox who had changed her life perception completely, could almost imagining the place where they first met, Jumbeaux’s Café; actually was watching it at that moment.

   _‘Was it really here?’_ she wondered, surprised to see the same place she was thinking, _‘Nick will be around? Impossible, I don’t think so, it’s too much coincidence, at this time he must be at Tundra Town, if he is still into it…’_

  The girl’s thoughts were interrupted when saw a very familiar van at the end of an alley.

   _‘Could it be... little Toot-toot’s truck...?’_

  “Stop, dad!” she cried out energetically.

  Stu hit the brakes all of a sudden as other drivers behind him did the same but honking furiously and cursing the vehicle in front of them. At that moment, Judy took off her seat belt and jumped out an open window.

  “Judy! Where you go?” asked his worried mother.

  “Emmm, well…” mumbled the young doe, not knowing what to say, “... I think I saw someone! Wait for me, I won't take long.”

  “And what we gonna do meanwhile?” Stu questioned, still worried about the scare his daughter gave them.

  “Well, I…” Judy turned to his right and saw the elephant cafeteria, “Why don’t you buy some popsicles there? I heard they sell some tasty and huge ones! I’ll be right back!”

  “But Judy...”

  Mrs. Hopps could only watch her daughter ran into the alley. Stu turned on the truck, advanced a few feet and stopped it again in front of a parking meter. Both rabbits got out of the vehicle and headed for the huge cafeteria with worried expressions. They entered with some difficulty because the door was very heavy for two small species like them, then felt surrounded by several elephants and other big mammals.

  “Holy cow! There’s more than one elephant in the room, I think we came into the wrong store; this place is way too big for a couple of rabbits like us, honey.”

  “Come on Stu, don’t be such a buzz kill. Look! There is a small bar! I think it's perfect for us.”

  Stu and Bonnie walked together until they reached a small empty shelf, rang the bell and immediately came a cute little desert fox, his fur was beige, he was dressing like a wild western bartender, with a white long-sleeved shirt, a red wine waistcoat and an elegant black bow tie.

  “Hello there!” said the fennec with a young voice, “Welcome to Jumbeaux’s! What can I help you with?”

  “Awwww.” the two rabbits said in unison, moved by the sight of a cute, adorable little fox.

  “Hehe…” he laughed, faking a smile, “you don’t look like mammals from this city. Could you let me suggest you something? How about some... Pawpsicles?”

* * *

  Not so far from there, at Savanna Central, a buffalo a muzzled and handcuffed fox remained in a patrol car. Chief Bogo, leader of the police, was driving the vehicle with one hoof and holding the microphone of a wired radio with the other.

  “Now, I have a very important message to tell everyone about what happened a few minutes ago in the ZPD.” Bogo said in a very serious tone, glancing sideways at a defeated fox.

  Nick had a lifeless gaze, he had given up to fight or free himself, knew it was impossible to get out of this situation; the canid thought there was nothing he could do and resigned, accepted the idea of spending the next months or years behind bars and away from the bunny he yearned for seeing again.

  “Well, I’ll get to the point.” he breathed deeply, “What the hell were you thinking!? Are you idiots!?” Chief Bogo shouted furious from his radio, “Why the bloody hell the whole damn ZPD couldn't catch a single mammal? Instead of getting organized and trapping him like real cops, you acted like a bunch of terrorists at a tea party!”

  “Chief Bogo!” Francine cut him from the radio, “If you let me explain you…”

  “Shut your mouth, Francine!” cried out the chief, “I’m not interested in hearing your excuses, if the new recruits were cowards, or if you didn’t count with the help of our former predator partners or if all of your were fooled by a single fox. Every one of you had a police training, experience with real criminals and even some officers already have dealt with wild mammals! Would you have imagined the scandal if it had been real? If the press finds out about this, we would be the laughingstock of Zootopia!” he stopped, take a breather, and spoke calmly, “Luckily, it was just a drill; I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if it…”

  "What!?” bellowed Francine.

  “What did you say?!” Another animal yelled from the radio.

  Nick’s left ear rose as he heard Bogo’s last words.

  “Swington here, Chief Bogo, what do you mean by a drill?”

  “There was never a wild mammal, it was all faked!” the buffalo confessed very annoyed, “It was just a test of the Internal Affairs Department designed to try the abilities of all the police officers in danger situations but obviously we failed. Chief Matsuda is gonna kill me. Thank you very much you bunch of incompetents!”

  From Bogo’s communicator came sounds of several surprised animals, but the most confused of all was the muzzled fox at the cape buffalo’s right. Nick couldn’t understand it. Maybe... was the chief creating him an alibi? It was impossible, what was the huge dark gray fur mammal plotting? The vulpine demanded answers.

  “Chief Bogo, please, explain to us what is the meaning of...!”

  “Shut your mouths!” the bovine animal demanded, “Basically, Internal Affairs wanted to evaluate our performance in light of two situations: 1. The attack of a wild predator in the station and 2. The response time of the new sheep police officers recommended by Mayor Bellwether. I sorry for haven't told you before but my superiors demanded to be as credible as possible. But come on! The credits go to Mr. Nick Wilde, who kindly agreed to help us with setting up this farce; you should learn one thing or two from him, like not being hit by a dart or have good aim!” laughed at himself, “Since today, everyone is going to practice 3 hours per week at the shooting range, did you hear me!”

  “Sir, yes, sir!” some officers replied by the radio.

  Nick saw the police's chief astounded, while Bogo turned to see him with a smirk.

  “Anyway, Francine! Give me a report about everything that happened today: the deserter officers, injured animals and a damage report; when you finish it, hand it over to Clawhauser.”

  “But Chief Bogo…” the elephant tried to argue without success.

  “This is it! I’ll give you the rest of the details later. If you don’t mind, I must take Mr. Wilde to his house, he must be exhausted by all the action he had today. That’s all for now. Over and out.” he turned off his radio, hanged up the microphone and stopped the patrol, “Wilde, I gonna take off your handcuffs. You don’t try anything stupid, right?”

  Nick nodded. Chief Bogo pulled out a set of keys and released the fox from the ties: immediately, the canid put his paws to his snout and took off the muzzle quickly and tossed it away with rage; he moved sort of confused and then saw Chief Bogo’s visage, who didn’t stop showing a stupid smile from his face.

  “Surprised, fox?”

  “What the hell is going on?! Why did you release me? Why are you helping me? Why? Why!”

  “Calm down or I’ll put back the handcuffs!” he yelled, “Don’t get me wrong Wilde, I don’t like you and you don’t like me, and believe me, nothing would make me happier than lock you up in prison a couple of years... however, now we have a goal in common.”

  Nick was speechless, but a second later, only one name came to his mind.

  “Judy!”

  “Bingo! I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

  “But why are you interest in Judy? I thought you hated her and…”

  “Of course not, well, at first I admit didn’t care for her, I thought she was assigned to my unit by the mayor’s recommendations and not by her own merits, you don’t have an idea how much I hate that kind of animals; however, after the missing mammals case, I investigated her and realized Officer Hopps wasn’t a fraud, she actually was a real cop. She passed the regular training, designed for huge mammals with the highest grades, after 51 attempts!” Bogo commented thrilled, “On average, the deserters don’t dare to repeat it after the 3rd attempt, who is capable to repeat so much pain must be either very tenacious or very stupid. But she got it! Hopps did everything, even beat a big mammal who was over 400 times her own  weight. It was amazing, you should see the video!” said the buffalo excited.

  “Your fascination for Carrots is quite... disturbing, sir.”

  “Shut your mouth!” he yelled angrily, “Don’t get me wrong boy, but after many years in service, I had never seen a police officer as dedicated to her work as she was, I never thought to be so wrong in my life, and yesterday that role model simply left us. Wilde, I can’t let her go like that, she’s still very affected by the whole savage animal thing and didn’t wanna listen to me. First my predator officers and now her. I can’t lose more good cops; I hate to admit Wilde, but I think you’re the only one she would wanna listen.”

  “Ok, ok, time out. I got it, it makes sense to me; however, if you wanted my cooperation so much, Why you didn’t tell me since the very beginning, instead of making a fool of myself at the ZPD!” demanded the fox rather angrily.

  Chief Bogo laughed again, the roles had switched and Nick was beginning to feel irritated with the buffalo.

  “What's so funny?” Nick asked annoyed.

  “Really Wilde? If I would have arrived at the station and I would say you: _‘Hey Wilde, come with me, let’s find together officer Hopps’,_ would you have believed me?”

  “Of course... not.”

  “Originally I was just going to fake an arrest and explain you everything, but instead of obeying the authority, you decided to play the super fox and made a big fuss. Your incredible determination could have cost you up to two years behind bars, however, you’re lucky I need Hopps to come back and because the little show you made can help me with my own interests.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your little escape will show the new mayor the vulnerability of the station and that it was a terrible idea replace all the predators with rams and sheep. I’m dying to see the face she gonna make!” he cleared his throat, “Also, it was funny enough watch you suffering and trying to get out of there in one piece, ha, ha, ha.”

  “Whoa, for someone so grumpy like yourself, you have a good sense of humor.”

  “You got heart, fox; courage and guts too. I hate cocky and annoying mammals like you, but now, with everything you’ve done to follow your ideals, you did something that even the bravest or biggest animal never dare to do: you faced me despite knowing that you had no chance against me; in all my years, I never have seen anyone either so brave or so insane, and you almost beat me; Although you couldn’t, you earned my respect, and believe me, not just anyone earns that.”

  “Oh, how lucky I am; Now, if we already stopped flattering each other, could we go back talking about Carrots?”

  “You’re right, there's no time to lose, so can I count on you?”

  “Feh, as if I would gonna say no. Let’s go, sir!”

  Bogo turned on the car and the patrol moved forward in at great speed.

  “And do you know where she lives, sir?”

  The bovine animal stopped the vehicle suddenly, Nick crashed against the dashboard of the vehicle due to the unexpected brake.

  “I almost forgot it.” the buffalo picked up his radio, “This is Chief Bogo. Clawhauser! Are you back at the reception? Do you have what I asked? Over. And for heaven’s sake, Wilde, buckle up!”

  “Yes, Ma’am…” the canid said, rubbing his nose with annoyance.

  “Clawhauser here!” replied the feline with effusiveness, “Nick, are you okay?”

  “Here I am,” the fox snatched Bogo’s speaker, “my body is killing me, I feel as if a damned buffalo had fallen on me, but besides that, I’m fine. Over.”

  “Don’t touch my radio, fox! he grabbed it back, “It’s for the exclusive use of police forces.”

  “Whoopsie, sir.”

  “Ha, ha! Are you two working together? This is awesome! Didn’t I tell you, Nick? Chief Bogo is marvelous!”

  “Yeah, yeah; if you say so…”

  “Clawhauser, there’s no time for this. Hopps address, now!”

  “Oh yes, yes, of course, hold on, give me just a... Gotcha! 145 Main Avenue, Savanna Central, the place is called the Grand Pangolin Arms. Over.”

  “Where could it be...?2 Bogo wondered.

  “Pangolin... I got it!” Nick commented excitedly.

  “Really? How are you so sure?”

  “I know this city like the back of my paw!”

  “Alright, guide me fox, we’ll arrive immediately. Thank you Clawhauser.”

  “You’re welcome chief... Oh for my spots’ sake!” the feline shouted very affected.

  “What, what?” said the fox and the buffalo almost in unison.

  “My food! The previous receptionist was so mean, he looted all my things... What a disaster! At least my Gazelle collection is still intact... What is this? A ketchup stain over my poster autographed by Gazelle herself!? AYAYAYAYAI!” The fat cheetah screamed dramatically.

  “Hmmmm Clawhauser, thank you so much for everything. Over and out!” Nick mentioned nervously, turning off the radio.

  “Do not touch that! Even if I help you find Hopps, it doesn’t mean I’m going to let pass what you did. When all of this is over, you and I will have a serious talk about the troubles you caused at the ZPD.”

* * *

  Judy ran quickly to the red, old and rusty van which had a side picture of a wolf carrying an arctic fox between his paws; when she arrived, looked through the driver’s window but couldn’t see the inside because it had polarized glass prevented her.

  “Crop! What was Nick's friend name? I think he never told me, I hope he still remembers me. Hey, little Toot-Toot! Are you there?” she knocked three times the door, “Hello? Hello!?”

  Judy kept knocking and waiting for Nick’s partner to come out, but nothing happened. The doe saddened, she thought her last chance to make amends with Nick vanished from her paws until saw a little fox at the other side of the street.

  “Little Toot-Toot!?” she shouted at him out.

  When the vulpine noticed her, then ran away to a lonely street.

  “Wait, please don’t go, you’re not in trouble, I just wanna talk, wait!"

  Judy didn’t hesitate and pursued him; when she turned the corner, saw no one, the road led her to a dead end; the bunny turned around confused, but in front of her saw a small fox.

  “There you are Toot-Toot! Listen, I need your help, I know Toot-Toot isn’t your actual name but I need to know where Nick is... wait a minute, you ... you’re not the little Toot-toot.”

  The former police officer saw the mammal carefully and realized he wasn’t the desert fox she was looking for; he was a very young animal, a swift fox; his fur was reddish brown and had slightly larger ears, had a childish appearance and clothes typical of his age: a black shirt and blue shorts; however, from the pocket of his pants pulled a knife. Judy was impressed but tried not to show fear, so she walked towards him slowly.

  “Hey, I'm sorry little fella, I’ve mistaken you with another fox; if you don’t mind, I’ll go where I came from and... Ah!”

  “Stay back, dumb bunny!” said the small fox with a pitched voice and swinging his blade threateningly.

  “Easy little guy, I don’t want any trouble,” Judy warned, trying to sound as calm as possible.

  “Then you came to the wrong neighborhood, Fluffy Tail.” said a voice behind her.

  At the doe’s back were two more foxes, one was an amber-fur kit fox, but with a darker color highlighted the tip of its tail, he was wearing a school uniform and held in his paw a club. Above him there was a gray fox or also known as climber fox, he was hanging from a lamppost but then went down skillfully off the large pole; this gray critter wore a brown tuxedo and carried dark shades, he was clearly the leader of the three; the fox took something from his jacket’s pockets and pulled out a shiny chromed revolver.

  “We’re the Fox Bros. gang, give us all your money and we don't gonna hurt you, bunny bumpkin!” threatened the leader aiming her with the gun.

  Judy put her paws up as looked closely at each one of the little vulpines as well as the surroundings. Then she turned her attention to the leader of the young robbers.

  “Hey guys, how old are you? 6, 7, 8? Aren't you a little young to be swipers?”

  “Shut your mouth, Carrot Breath!” said the brown fox who held the knife.

  “And for the record, we are 10 years old, we’re practically adults, Long Ears!” added the one who carried a club.

  “I won’t repeat it twice, Fluff.” the leader shouted still aiming to the girl, “Give us all your cash and get out of here or we’ll have to do something very nasty to you.”

  “Come on guys, I don’t want any trouble; I’ll give you all my money right away, but first, I’d like you to answer me some questions, okay?”

  The foxes looked at the leader, he just nodded, put down the gun and approached the bunny slowly.

  “Seems fair, but you only have one question, and don’t try anything!”

  “Alright, do you know the owner of that red van?”

  “Which one, Finnick's one?” said the amber fox.

  “Fool!” the climber fox hit his partner’s back of his neck, “Don't spill the beans!”

  “So, Finnick is his name…” the doe muttered.

  “Yeah, that’s Finnick’s van, he’s an old acquaintance for us, the swelled head don’t allow us to steal in his territory but lately we haven’t seen him hustling other mammals with that tall fox.”

  “Nick!” claimed Judy, surprised.

  “No more question for you, but tell me one more thing, What does a dumb bunny have to do with Finnick?”

  “Maybe she’s his girlfriend,” commented the brown-fur canid laughing, “I heard he likes tall girls.”

  “A fox being boyfriend of an ugly and stupid prey? What nonsense are you talking about?” commented the honey-colored fur vulpine.

  “Well…” said the leader, “She isn’t ugly at all…”

  “Hehe, well thanks kid, you flatter me.”

  “But why would you go out with a disgusting, odious fox like Finnick? Wouldn’t you rather be the girl of a young and handsome leader like me?”

  “Oh, how nice, but I’m sorry buddy, I don’t go out with criminals.”

  “Come on, you’re way too cute, and you’re very well fed back here, ha, ha, ha.”

  The sassy and naughty fox spanked the bunny brazenly, Judy opened widely her purple eyes, raised her ears and looked at the leader with a sullen face, the rest of the vulpines laughed hysterically until the climber fox received a swift kick in the face causing him to back off and muting the other canids at once.

  “Don’t call me cute!”

  “Leader!” cried out both canids, “Now you’ll see!” the two foxes threatened her with their weapons.

  “You don’t scare me, boys; those are just plastic toys!”

  “What!?”

  “How did she know!?”

  “Puh-leez! Since I was a kid being a police officer was my dream, and I used to have those toys, I recognized them just by seeing them; Although if I were you, I’d be more concerned about something else, I mean, do you know how long can I lock you up for faking a theft and harassing a girl?”

  “W-w-who the hell do you think you are?” said the gray fox, rubbing his aching nose.

  “Tee-hee... I am ofi- …! Errr... I mean, I am Judy Hopps!”

  “Judy Hopps!?” said the comet fox, frightened.

  “The bunny cop who everyone has been talking about, the same Judy Hopps!?”

  “She lies! Don’t get intimidated by her, there are 3 of us and she's all by herself. Get her, boys!”

  The vulpines drop down their toy weapons, put on guard and extended their claws, but their confidence faded away when they saw the doe leaped on them aggressively.

  “AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

* * *

  Savanna Central’s were full of hundreds of vehicles, in the middle of a queue of traffic, Chief Bogo was driving his patrol car following the instructions of his copilot, Nick.

  “Go straight ahead about 13 or 15 more blocks and then turn right... Furballs!”

  “What’s the matter, Wilde?”

  “Look at the traffic! It will take at least 30 minutes to get there, Clawhauser told me Judy will leave at noon, exactly in less than ten minutes. Stop the car, I think I’ll go faster on foot.”

  “There is no need, I have an idea.”

  The buffalo hit the siren and the cars began to scattered away by the patrol.

  “We’ll be there in 5 to 10 minutes. Calm down Wilde, we’re gonna make…”

  “I still don’t get it,” he interrupted him, “Why the hell are helping me?”

  “I already explained it to you Wilde, I need…”

  “It doesn’t make sense, it’s obvious I don’t like you, Clawhauser told me you hate foxes, and since I met you at Rainforest District, it’s pretty evident you don’t believe in our species, so why are you trust me now?”

  “No Wilde, I actually don’t trust in you, for me, you’re still a cocky fox and yes, I admit in all my years as a cop I had a negative opinion about your species, the same opinion I had about rabbits, or any small species who aspired to be police officers.”

  “Wonderful. Feels good to be appreciated.”

  “But, precisely, a naive but brave bunny has made me see not everything is what it seems, because of my prejudices, I could have fired the most dedicated police officer I have ever met; I promised myself I won’t let false assumptions cloud my judgment again. So, Mr. Wilde, today I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, does it satisfy your curiosity, you freaking fussy fox?”

  “No way... but it’s enough for now. Tha-”

  “Shut your mouth, I don’t do it for you, remember it. Let me care about myself and you concern about finding your girlfriend.”

  “Yes, I will... What!? Dammit! You too?”

  “What? You mean you and Hopps aren’t...?”

  “No way! She’s just a friend, there’s nothing more between us. I don’t understand why everyone keeps confusing my interest to finding Carrots, I just want to fix things with her and... be friends again.”

  “Friends?” the Chief laughed, “Ha, ha, I don’t know about you, but all those crazy things you did back there haven’t would be done by anyone just to see a friend, you risked a lot, you could have been hurt…”

  “Ahem…”

  “Bah, crybaby; or you could have ended up with a couple of years behind bars, that isn’t the kind of thing you would do for a friend. Don’t you have more friends like...?” he looked at Nick’s sad expression, “Oh... I see, I’m so sorry…”

  “Don’t apologize! And no, there is no one like Carrots, you know her well; she... is different, she’s an annoying, insistent, naive fuzzball; very demure, doesn’t shut up at all and also very, very stubborn…”

  “You don’t have to say it.” the buffalo agreed.

  “... but she... she is very cheerful, has a strange positive and very contagious aura; she’s pretty amusing, intelligent and also is very, very, very clever even for a dumb fox like me and well, despite all the stuff she said back at the press conference or how she behaved after it, she is empathetic mammal and understands the feeling of being rejected by the society, she’s like... like…”

  “...like... your soul mate?” said Bogo with a discreet smile.

  “Pffff, of course not, she and I are very different, we have nothing in common, I’m almost his opposite…”

  “Exactly, because she completes you, isn’t she?”

  “Don’t be such a pain, she and I just met some days ago. Also, Carrots and I would never have a relationship like that, we’re from different worlds. It will never work.”

  “Oh Wilde, you’re so young, you still have a lot to learn…”

  “Cut already all that sickly-sweet crap, what’s all this about?”

  “Ah, I’ll be frank, there’s a third reason why I help you. Clawhauser and my wife are very close friends and they tell everything, he told her about the precious love story about a fox looking for the bunny of his dreams. And my dear sweetheart has asked me to help those two lovebirds to bump into each other again.”

  “Clawhauser did what!? That glutton feline promised me isn’t going to tell anyone!”

  “You didn’t know it? We don’t call him ‘Donut mouth’ Clawhauser for nothing. Probably he already told the whole ZPD, his friends and social media acquaintances.”

  The canid was literally open-mouthed and then he grimacing to himself while Chief Bogo laughed amused.

  “I just pretended to have a crush with her in order to get kitty’s help and contact Carrots... argh…” he sighed, “...me and my big mouth.”

  “Well, Romeo, you’ll have a lot to explain to your Juliet when all this is over, and I’ll tell my wife the truth, she is gonna be very disappointed... Hey!” he pointed to his right, “Isn’t that the building we’ve been looking for?”

  “Ah?” he turned to the same side, “Yeah, it is. I’m just le...!”

  “Go on Casanova, I’m going to park; also, I think that conversation it’s only between you and Hopps.”

  “Sir… I mean, Chief Bogo.” said Nick, smiling, “Thank you.”

  “Feh, I told you not mention it, at least not until we finish the mission, shorty.”

  “Who would say it? Mr. Angry-horns isn’t so grouchy or so bad after all.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, fox; in my work, I’m the most serious, firm and rough mammal you ever meet, don’t ever tell anyone what we just talked or you gonna regret it!”

  “Sir, yes…” he gave an official salute. “... Sir.”

* * *

  “You are all under arrested!” cried out Judy.”

  The doe had immobilized the three rebellious foxes with a rope, the little ones could only move their back paws and look at the ex-officer with watery eyes.

  “Let us go, please!”

  “It was just a game, forgive us!”

  “Silence! Since you are so grown-up to steal and harass a female.” said the prey with a sarcastic tone, “all of you will be judged and imprisoned as adults.”

  “No please!” the leader begged, “If my mom finds out, she will kill me... let us... please... don’t... waaaahhhhh!” he sobbed with sorrow.

  The rest of the foxes, after seeing their leader, began to cry too.

  “However, since I’m not a cop anymore, I gonna give you one chance.”

  “Waaahhh... re... really?” said the gray fox between sobs.

  “Yep. I’ll set you all free only if you can answer some questions.”

  “Ask whatever you want, but let us out!” said the little canid, still with a glazed expression.

  “Do you know Finnick’s partner?”

  “You mean... Nick?”

  “Judy tensed her ears when hearing the name of the fox and a huge smile was drawn on her face.

* * *

  “For the last time, we don’t know where she is, get outta here before we call the police!” yelled a male oryx, an kind of gazelle with straight horns.

  Nick was outside Judy’s apartment, arguing with her loud-mouthed, bad-tempered neighbors who hadn’t received the vulpine very well.

  “Don’t scream so hard Pronk, my head is killing me!” shouted the male kudu, a kind of antelope with curved horns like a spiral.

  “You shut up, you’re the only one screaming, Bucky!”

  “No, you shut up, Pronk!”

  “Hey, hey!” the fox interrupted them, “I don’t have time for this, I need to find your neighbor and the landlady told me you were the last ones whom she spoke before leave and I know she hasn’t left the city, yet. I’m pretty sure she told you where she went, am I right?”

  “Look fox,” said Pronk contemptuously, “even if we knew it, Judy was our friend and we’re not going to say that to any criminal, especially one with a shirt full of dirt and blood. We don’t know you, but because of your appearance, surely you were the cause she left us.”

  The bovine’s words hurt Nick more than oryx thought. Suddenly, the three began to hear the footsteps of someone very heavy climbing up the apartment's stairway.

  “Wilde, I’ve been waiting for almost 15 minutes, why are you taking so long?” said chief Bogo, surprised, “Who are they? And Hopps?”

  “Dude... he’s ripped!” exclaimed Bucky, amazed.

  “You say it,” Pronk answered, equally surprised.

  “We arrived late!” said the worried canid, “The landlady told me Judy left the building half hour ago with two other rabbits, she said they were on a blue sky truck heading east and…”

  “They haven’t taken the highway, it means must continue in Zootopia, very clever, Wilde.”

  “She also said these two were the last ones she talked to, they seem to know something but they don’t want to tell me a word.”

  “You liar brat!” said Bucky, “Officer, we’re glad you came, this fox looks dangerous and…”

  “Shut up!” Chief Bogo shouted.

  “Aaahhhhh!”

  They both became frightened and let out a sharp cry when heard the buffalo’s gruff voice and embraced each other with fear.

  “We don’t have time! My partner and I are looking for ex-officer Hopps, it’s a very sensitivity police matter where..."

  “S-s-seriously? We didn’t know it. When we saw that fox…”

  “Shut up, I haven’t finished talking!”

  The two bovine animals hugged each other stronger and with scarier than before.

  “So, tell us, where did she go? And you better tell us the truth, because if not…”

  “We already told you, we don’t know, I mean, we don’t remember, and I…”

  “Alright, but remember this very well: obstructing of justice can cost you up to a year in jail. So, you better jog your memory or I’ll put both of you behind bars, or worse: I’ll be forced to get the truth... by other means…”

  “O-o-other means...?” The kudu gulped.

  “Enough sir!” said the canid alarmed, “Leave them alone, I don’t think they gonna talk if you beat them up first.”

  “B-b-b-beat up?” The mammal with straight horns questioned worriedly.

  “Mind your own business, Wilde!” The buffalo yelled at him.

  “Or what?” Nick said defiantly. “What are you gonna do? Do you going to smack me half to death again?”

  “Half to death!?” exclaimed the two tenants, filled with fear.

  “Do you really want me get dirty your shirt with blood again, dwarf!?”

  “Try it, if you call yourself a male!”

  The buffalo took the fox by the shirt and raised him a few inches.

  "You asked for it, fox!" Bogo said, threatening him with his fist.

  “Enough!” the kudu shouted the very frightened.

  “Judy said that before leaving Zootopia, she will go to lunch in a restaurant with her parents!”

  The buffalo released Nick, both animals smiled pleased.

  “Where? What's the name of the place?” Bogo asked inquisitively.

  “I-I-I don’t remember it, it was called ‘The Big... the Big…’ the big something but…”

  “The big what?!” demanded aggressively.

  “I don’t remember! Waaahhhh!” said the animal with curved horns crying.

  “Are you okay, Bucky?” Pronk asked trying to comfort his mate. “We don’t remember, it was the name of a vegetable... the big pumpkin, the big lettuce, the big…”

  “The Big Carrot!?” Nick demanded in a hurry.

  “Yes, that's it!”

  “Do you know it, Wilde?”

  “Yes, it’s a vegetarian restaurant, just outside Sahara Square.”

  “Well, then there’s no time to lose! Let’s go!”

  “Sir, yes, Sir. Thanks for your cooperation, citizens.”

  Nick and Bogo went down the stairs of the apartment at full speed.

  “Really, Wilde? The 'Good Cop, Bad Cop' Routine? What a cliché!”

  “Hey, it worked, didn’t it? Besides, aren’t you and the fuzz do this all the time?”

  “You have seen too many movies, fox; In my experience, the only thing that always works is the ‘Bad Cop, Worse Cop’ one.”

  Both left the building quickly and boarded the patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and please forgive me, I know this update took me too much time, I'm so sorry but, this was a big chapter and I was paying more attention to my Spanish works; so don't think I forget about this one, it's just... me and my lazy ass haven't learned to write and translate faster.  
> Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, not exactly my favorite one but it has many surprises, the first appearance of Judy (originally, she wasn't planning to appear until the last chapter) and an explanation about what she was doing before left Zootopia. And the most exciting part of this chapter, one of the best and odd team of all times: Bogo and Nick, I'm a bit sad some of you have guessed before I published the update but I hope you have enjoyed reading about this bizarre collaboration, the buffalo and the fox will have an exciting adventure in the next chapter.  
> Also, check this new cover a user from Wattpad made for this fanfic. Thank you so much Namashii!  
> Stay tuned. I'll try to update soon. Over and out, guys!  
> Credits: Chapter cover pic made by PastelMistress.


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